Reading Improvement Through Art (RITA) program is an interdisciplinary approach to literacy that blends visual art with reading comprehension, evaluated in nine New York City urban high schools. 240 problem readers participating in the pilot program were pre- and post-tested in the Fall 1975 and Spring 1976 semesters. The testing showed the 9th and 10th graders made exceptional growth in reading -- growth beyond statistical expectations: on average, almost one year of growth in reading comprehension after four months of treatment. RITA's reciprocal learning pedagogy, funded under strict ESEA Title I regulations, was validated for replication by the New York State Department of Education. The integrity of art and reading instruction is not compromised by the interface of two disciplines. A part-time reading specialist visits the art studio to collaborate with the art teacher and to assist artists' understanding of printed materials about each art media in work. Genuine need-to-know motivates self-selected reading. The study research was supported, in part, by The University Council for Art Education. The publication is of interest to superintendents, principal consortiums, university educators of pre-service art teachers and education researchers. A district-wide, up-dated research study is needed to further validate commonalities of visual art and language learning.[This research was supported in part by The University Council for Art Education.]