Instructional materials presented in this teaching guide, one of five developed as part of the vocational strategies project, are intended to provide vocational services to mildly handicapped special needs students mainstreamed into regular schools at the middle school level. The skill development described is based on the belief that preparation of special needs students (learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, and retarded) before they enter high school will facilitate their vocational learning later. The first section of the manual contains six lessons with student exercises that emphasize good work habits such as the importance of effort, punctuality, neatness, and cooperation through reading, role playing, and discussion. Also included in the job exploratory section are specific safety precautions which are stressed in lessons on tools. Students are introduced to selling and merchandising, mass production, assembly line, economics of cost, and ecology. The second section, vocational exploratory, pertains to social skill and prevocational development. The six lessons are on safety, blueprint reading, and several assembly projects. Lesson objectives, vocabulary, learning activities, and work self-evaluation sheets are included. (TA)