IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT APPALACHIAN CHILDREN ARE NOT ILLITERATES. THEY HAVE A VERY SOPHISTICATED LANGUAGE WITH WHICH THEY COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITY. THEIR LANGUAGE SYSTEM, HOWEVER, IS NOT LIKE THE STANDARD AMERICAN ENGLISH, BUT IS LEARNED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY FROM ORAL TRADITION AND HAS CHANGED VERY LITTLE FOR GENERATIONS. THUS, WHEN THE SCHOOLS IMPOSE MIDDLE-CLASS READING AND WRITING CODES APPALACHIAN CHILDREN FAIL AND ARE CONSIDERED ILLITERATE. THE READING MATERIALS USED IN APPALACHIAN SCHOOLS HAVE NO RELEVANCY TO THESE CHILDREN WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE MAINSTREAM CULTURAL EXPERIENCE. MOREOVER, THE GRAPHEMES OF STANDARD ENGLISH DO NOT CONVEY TO THEM THE SOUNDS THEY CUSTOMARILY USE. THE CRITICAL NEED FOR APPALACHIAN SCHOOLS IS PRESCHOOL ORAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM USING STANDARD AMERICAN ENGLISH WHICH IS DESIGNED TO GIVE STUDENTS A BASIS FOR LEARNING TO READ IN THE FIRST GRADE. THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE "SOUTHERN EDUCATION REPORT," VOLUME 3, NUMBER 1, JULY-AUGUST 1967. (NH)