AN EXPERIMENTAL GROUP OF 18 FIRST-GRADE TEACHERS FROM FIVE SCHOOLS WAS RELEASED 1/2 DAY TWICE EACH MONTH FOR A SERIES OF DISCUSSION MEETINGS WITH THE READING CONSULTANT. A CONTROL GROUP OF 17 FIRST-GRADE TEACHERS FROM THE OTHER FIVE SCHOOLS IN THE SAME DISTRICT WAS EXPOSED TO THE TYPICAL CONSULTANT SITUATION -- HELP GIVEN AT THE REQUEST OF THE TEACHER OR PRINCIPAL. THE TWO GROUPS WERE BALANCED FOR TEACHER EXPERIENCE. FIFTEEN 2-HOUR MEETINGS WERE HELD FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP DURING WHICH GUEST SPEAKERS OFFERED SUGGESTIONS, SHARED METHODS AND MATERIALS, AND CONSTRUCTED TEACHING AIDS. THE READING ACHIEVEMENT SCORES OF THE CHILDREN IN THE CLASSES TAUGHT BY THE TWO GROUPS WERE COMPARED AT THE END OF THE EXPERIMENTAL PERIOD. SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AT THE .05 LEVEL FAVORING THE CONTROL GROUP WERE FOUND ON THE PARAGRAPH MEANING AND THE VOCABULARY TESTS OF THE STANFORD ACHIEVEMENT TEST, PRIMARY BATTERY AND ON THE WORD RECOGNITION TEST OF THE GATES PRIMARY TEST. APPENDICES AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE GIVEN. (RJ)