AN INTERIM REPORT OF A 3-YEAR STUDY OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INITIAL TEACHING ALPHABET (ITA) AND THE PEABODY LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT KITS (PLDK) WITH UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN IN BEGINNING READING AND IN STIMULATING ORAL LANGUAGE AND VERBAL INTELLIGENCE IS PRESENTED. FIVE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS AND ONE CONTROL GROUP WERE DERIVED FROM 17 CLASSES IN NINE SCHOOLS. THE FIVE EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS HAD VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF ITA, PLDK, AND CONVENTIONAL READING AND VARIOUS LENGTHS OF PLDK TREATMENT, WHILE THE CONTROL GROUP HAD NOTHING BUT CONVENTIONAL READING. PUPIL PROGRESS WAS MEASURED IN READING ACHIEVEMENT, LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT, AND INTELLECTUAL GROWTH. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE ITA GROUPS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCED IN READING ACHIEVEMENT OVER THE CONVENTIONAL READING GROUP. CHILDREN WITH ITA AND 2 YEARS PLDK MADE MORE READING PROGRESS THAN ANY OTHER GROUP. CHILDREN WITH 1 OR 2 YEARS PLDK MADE GREATER LANGUAGE GAINS THAN THOSE WITHOUT PLDK, AND 2 YEARS OF PLDK PRODUCED GREATER EFFECT THAN 1 YEAR. GROWTH IN INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT WAS ENHANCED IN TERMS OF MA NOT IQ. THESE FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT WHILE USE OF ITA MADE GREATER EFFECTS THAN CONVENTIONAL READING WITH OR WITHOUT PLDK, THE COMBINED ITA AND 2 YEARS OF PLDK WAS MOST EFFECTIVE WITH UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN. REFERENCES AND TABLES ARE INCLUDED. (NS)