A NUMBER OF STEPS MUST BE TAKEN BY THE TEACHER OF CULTURALLY DEPRIVED ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH AN OPTIMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT SO THAT THEIR INTELLECTUAL RETARDATION CAN BE CORRECTED AND REVERSED. BECAUSE MUCH OF THE ALIENATION THAT THE DISADVANTAGED STUDENT FEELS IS THE RESULT OF A CURRICULUM WHICH STRESSES FUTURE GOALS AND DWELLS ON WHAT THE STUDENT THINKS IS USELESS INFORMATION, ONE'S METHOD OF TEACHING MUST PROVIDE THE STUDENT WITH A SENSE OF IMMEDIATE UTILITY AND REWARD. TIMID AND CAUTIOUS STUDENTS WHO ARE FREQUENTLY CLASSED AS SLOW LEARNERS MAY BE AS INTELLIGENT AS ARTICULATE STUDENTS, BUT MAY NEED REASSURANCE AND A FREE ATMOSPHERE WHICH ALLOWS FOR LEARNING BY DOING. THE TEACHER MUST ALSO BE AWARE THAT A STUDENT'S READINESS FOR EACH UNIT OF MATERIAL IS OF PRIME IMPORTANCE, AND THUS THE CURRICULUM MUST BE CAREFULLY STRUCTURED TO EXPAND SEQUENTIALLY. DIFFICULTIES WITH LANGUAGE CAN BE OVERCOME BY ALLOWING STUDENTS TO USE THEIR SUB-STANDARD DIALECTS WITHOUT FEAR OF INTIMIDATION BY THE TEACHER, WHILE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF AND COMPETENCE WITH STANDARD ENGLISH IS INCREASED THROUGH SUCH ACTIVITIES AS CHORAL READING AND WORD GAMES. FINALLY, PROGRAMS FOR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS MUST BE DIAGNOSTIC IN NATURE AND IMPLEMENTATION, AND BASED ON AN ACCURATE APPRAISAL OF THE CHILD'S POTENTIALITIES AND WEAKNESSES. (THIS ARTICLE APPEARS IN "STATEMENT--THE JOURNAL OF THE COLORADO LANGUAGE ARTS SOCIETY," VOL. 3, NO. 1, DECEMBER 1967.) (DL)