The cross-cultural approach to reading, which involves a structured, individualized sequence of learning activities, was designed to accommodate the culture and language of black "nonmainstream" students. The approach includes two teaching/learning strategies: associative bridging, the process of beginning with students' familiar dialect and then extending learning to the standard American English dialect, and peer control, involving small-group, oral reading exercises that draw heavily on the black oral tradition. The teacher using the cross-cultural approach assumes three roles: manager of behavior, manager of materials, and individual learning consultant. Two evaluative studies of the program model for the cross-cultural approach provided a basis for revision and future development, and a field test indicated that the program model was a valuable approach for teaching reading to black nonmainstream students. (Author/GW)