This study examines the effectiveness of three levels of reading materials (second, fifth and eighth grade) and two types of illustrations (decorative and instructional) on Appalachian parents' ability to complete a prescribed set of home teaching activities. The study was used in the development of parent materials for the Appalachia Educational Laboratory's Marketable Preschool Education (MPE) Program, an extension of the Home-Oriented Preschool Education Program (HOPE). The sample comprised 699 Appalachian families with preschool children. The sample was subdivided and parents in each group were presented with an activity sheet representing a particular combination of reading level and illustrative style. Parents were requested to read the sheet and to complete the activity with the home visitor, who played the role of their child. Comparisons were made to see which combination of reading level and illustrative style produced the largest number of successful completions. Results indicated that (1) even the materials at the second grade reading level, approximately one-fourth of the parents were unable to carry out activities described on the sheets; (2) instructional illustrations negatively affected the number of completions; (3) activities written at the second grade level and utilizing decorative illustrations produced the most completions; and (4) parents' ability to complete the activities was related to their educational attainment. Appendices include parent activity sheets, representing all six combinations of reading level and illustrative style. (MS)