AN IDENTIFICATION OF THE CONCEPTUAL ELEMENTS LEADING TO A RATIONALE FOR THE GUIDANCE FUNCTION IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS INVESTIGATED, UTILIZING THE RESULTS OF RESEARCH AND GUIDANCE EXPERIENCE, AND PHILOSOPHICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND EDUCATIONAL CONCEPTS. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES INCLUDED THE PREPARATION OF A TENTATIVE POSITION STATEMENT OR WORKING PAPER, BASED UPON RESEARCH FINDINGS, AND THE REVIEW OF THIS DRAFT BY A WORKING COMMITTEE AND FIELD READERS REPRESENTING ELEMENTARY COUNSELORS, COUNSELING SUPERVISORS, AND COUNSELOR EDUCATORS AS WELL AS PSYCHOLOGISTS, EDUCATORS, AND OTHER BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS. SUBSEQUENT OBJECTIVES WERE THE REVISION AND REVIEW OF A SECOND DRAFT OF THE WORKING PAPER AND SUBMISSION OF IT TO A WORKING COMMITTEE. THE METHODS INCLUDED BOTH A LITERATURE SEARCH AND EMPIRICAL FINDINGS FROM WORKING COMMITTEES, FIELD READERS, AND THE SELECTED INTERVIEWS. THE REACTION OF THEORETICIANS, PHILOSOPHERS, BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS, AND PRACTITIONERS IN THE FIELD OF GUIDANCE AND ELEMENTARY EDUCATION WERE OBTAINED. THE RESULTS ARE IN THE FORM OF THREE DRAFTS OF A WORKING PAPER--(1) CONCEPTUAL ELEMENTS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GUIDANCE, (2) WORKING PAPER ON THE GUIDANCE ASPECT OF EDUCATION, AND GUIDANCE STRATEGIES AND METHODS IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND (3) GUIDANCE IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SUGGESTED CONCEPTUALIZATION AND STRATEGIES. (AUTHOR/CG)