This discussion reviews literature on early bilingualism and early reading in two languages and summarizes a research project aimed at developing the experimental conditions for teaching early bilingual reading in institutional settings. The review notes positive effects of early reading generally and of early bilingual literacy on intellectual growth and general education. However, the anecdotal information available needs support from well-grounded experimental research. An Italian research design was developed to examine the possibilities and effectiveness of learning to read in two languages, starting at age 4. The research project would also examine the correlations between early literacy and bilingual development, early literacy and cognitive development, and early bilingual literacy and the overcoming of cognitive and linguistic disadvantages of lower- income or immigrant children. A special reading kit suggesting appropriate classroom teaching techniques and a parent guidebook were developed, as well as a variety of pre- and posttests and a parent questionnaire. The research project is in use with some groups of bilingual and immigrant children in French-Italian, German-Italian, and Basque-speaking areas of Europe; further applications in other language groups are recommended. (MSE)