This booklet asserts that teacher retraining is directly linked to improving the teaching of reading and to basic education in general. It states that a successful in-service training program should have focus and vitality and should integrate a variety of training devices to meet the individual needs of the teachers. An effective program must assess the needs in education and must develop a systematic theory on which to build teaching procedures. Six needs in education today are identified in this booklet as a starting point for program development: (1) the need to develop throughout the curriculum, a high degree of social awareness; (2) the need to develop in youth the skills associated with problem analysis and problem solving; (3) the need to deepen students' understanding of participatory democracy, commitment to its ideals, and a sense of moral and civic responsiblity; (4) the need to strengthen students' values and priorities with respect to personal and public good; (5) the need to instill optimism regarding the human capacity to improve the quality of life; and (6) the need to nurture a clear perception of how one's personal future can be shaped. (MAI)