MATRIX GAMES IS A MODIFIED PROGRAMED-INSTRUCTION APPROACH TO TEACHING AND DEVELOPING LANGUAGE SKILLS. IN THIS STUDY, A BOARD DISPLAYING 16 PICTURES IN A 4 X 4 MATRIX WAS PLACED IN FRONT OF SEVERAL 4- OR 5-YEAR-OLDS. THE PICTURES COMPOSING A ROW CONTAINED A COMMON ITEM, FOR EXAMPLE, A BOY. THE PICTURES OF A COLUMN ALSO CONTAINED A COMMON ITEM, FOR EXAMPLE, DRINKING MILK. THE GAME BEGAN WHEN THE TEACHER COVERED 1 OF THE 16 PICTURES AND ASKED THE CHILDREN TO DESCRIBE THE CONTENTS OF THAT PICTURE. BY SCANNING BOTH THE ROW AND COLUMN OF WHICH THE COVERED PICTURE WAS A PART, THE CHILD COULD DETERMINE, BY ABSTRACTING OUT THE COMMON ITEMS OF THE PICTURES IN THAT ROW AND COLUMN, THAT THE COVERED PICTURE WAS, SAY, 2 BOYS WEARING A HAT. THIS PROCEDURE INDICATES THE CHILD'S COGNITIVE AND ARTICULATION ABILITIES SO THAT DIFFICULTIES IN THESE 2 AREAS CAN BE DISCOVERED AND CORRECTED. MATRIX GAMES INCLUDES WITHIN ITS INSTRUCTIONAL FRAMEWORK THE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF TEXTBOOK AND MACHINE-TYPE PROGRAMING, NAMELY (1) CLEAR SPECIFICATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES, (2) CAREFUL SEQUENCING OF STEPS, (3) USE OF SMALL SEQUENCING STEPS, (4) SUBSTANTIAL ACTIVE PARTICIPATION BY THE STUDENT, AND (5) CONFIRMATION OF THE CORRECTNESS OF THE STUDENT'S RESPONSE. THE ADVANTAGE OF PROGRAMED-INSTRUCTION ORIENTED CURRICULA, LIKE MATRIX GAMES, IS THEIR FLEXIBILITY. THEY RESPOND TO INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES AND RATES OF LEARNING. (WD)