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The proper concern of professional education is to assure competent service to children, service which produces high achievement and eliminates unnecessary failure. Success in initial classroom instruction is more important than providing remedy after failure. This is particularly true in learning to read, since reading is an essential basis for later school achievement.After twenty-five years of clinical service and research related to reading instruction, it seemed desirable to the language arts staff of Boston University to conduct a large-scale study that employed practices indicated as desirable by research and clinical experience. A grant was obtained which made possible a cooperative study that involved more than 2,000 firstgrade children. Purposes of the StudyThe purposes of the study were three: to assure reading success among the first-grade children; to evaluate reading readiness practices and concepts; to study relationships among various aspects of reading growth.Clinical services indicated that reading failures at first-grade level were usually overcome when the following abilities were established through effective teaching: knowledge of letter names, ability to identify sounds in spoken words, and knowledge of applied phonics. Additional services commonly needed were meaningful word recognition practice and special help in beginning silent reading. It appeared that if these needs were identified and served in initial classroom instruction, much reading difficulty might be prevented. In addition, it was hoped that rapid learners might make higher achievement if unnecessary instruction were eliminated from the reading program.Reading readiness practices and concepts are still in controversy despite research evidence on several factors. By applying measures in September, November, February, and June, answers to many questions should be obtained.