The first year of an ESEA/Title III experimental program to teach beginning reading in Spanish to 300 Mexican-American first graders in Corpus Christi, Texas, was described. While learning to read in Spanish, the children simultaneously learned English through aural-oral approach, with the goal of reading in both languages by the end of grade 2. A control group of 300 children received all instruction in English. They used the McKee Reading for Meaning series beginning with Getting Ready to Read which teaches reading through oral context combined with letter-sound associations for initial consonants. The experimental group received instruction in Spanish and English and used Preparandose Para Leer, an experimental Spanish program taking the same approach as Getting Ready to Read, but using the 14 Spanish consonants. This group began transition to reading in English after they completed the prereading skills in Spanish and were actually reading Spanish stories. Then they read stories in both English and Spanish. The program will continue through grade 2, when testing will be done. Some preliminary observations of the program's value and references are given. (CM)