The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a concentrated program of listening experiences administered via tape recorded materials to Texas third graders over a 30 week period. Additionally, the study sought: (1) to determine and compare the reading achievement of the experimental group using the listening program and the control group, (2) to determine whether participating pupils would show a significant increase in total achievement when compared to control pupils, and (3) to determine whether sex and level of achievement were contributing factors in the amount of gain in reading achievement. The Science Research Associates programs, "Listening Skill Builder Program" and "Listening Program," and the Audio Reading Progress Laboratory were used as instructional materials. Each listening lesson was approximately fifteen to twenty minutes. Analysis of pretest and posttest results revealed the following conclusions: (1) Experimental group children made significantly greater gains on standardized achievement tests as a group and also in most subgroup comparisons than control group children. (2) Sex does not seem to influence benefits gained from a listening program. (3) Children in the lower and middle achievement groups seemed to profit most from the planned listening lessons. (Author/TO)