To develop and test materials to be used in a later 2-year study to compare six approaches in teaching braille reading, materials in grade 1 and grade 2, braille, and phonemic braille media (both analytic and synthetic approaches), 39 subjects from six residential schools were evaluated. Special books were embossed in grade 1 and phonemic braille, and phonemic codes were prepared for use with the analytic and synthetic readers. The teachers were given a 3-day workshop preceding the program. They made daily progress reports and their reactions were used in the evaluation of each approach. At the end of the 1-year program the results indicated that phonemic braille could be used with beginning braille readers; the analytic approach appeared to function more effectively for the phonemic materials than the synthetic approach; grade 1 approaches were not adequately measured; and further research is necessary with development of more adequate materials utilized to make generalizations concerning approaches in braille reading. (Author/JM)