CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE INITIATED PRIOR TO METHODS INSTRUCTION AND STUDENT TEACHING WAS STUDIED TO DETERMINE IF MEASURABLE TRANSFER EXISTED BETWEEN THEM. FORTY ELEMENTARY TEACHER CANDIDATES WHO HAD COMPLETED THEIR JUNIOR YEAR COMPRISED THE POPULATION. THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (20) PARTICIPATED IN A 6-WEEK SUMMER SESSION PROGRAM OF TEACHING SMALL GROUPS OF CHILDREN READING AND ARITHMETIC. THE CONTROL GROUP (20) WERE MATCHED TO THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP ON GENERAL ABILITY AND SPECIFIC ACHIEVEMENT. THE GENERAL DESIGN OF THIS STUDY USED A CONTROL GROUP AND ONLY A POST-TEST. HOWEVER, BOTH PRE- AND POST-TESTS WERE USED TO MEASURE PERSONALITY CHANGES. IT WAS FOUND THAT AN INDEPENDENT EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN IN A CLASSROOM SITUATION SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED THE ANXIETIES OF THOSE WHO WERE ENTERING STUDENT TEACHING. IN THE SUBSEQUENT METHODS, THOSE WHO HAD THE TEACHING EXPERIENCE MANIFESTED GREATER COMPETENCY FOR THE ENTIRE SEMESTER. REPLICATION WAS SUGGESTED ON A LARGER SCALE WITH A MORE DIVERSE-BACKGROUND POPULATION FROM DIFFERENT LOCALES. (RS)