The purpose of the Central Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory (CAREL) literature program was to encourage pupils' imaginative and expressive power and to improve their ability to use language effectively. The curriculum was designed for 3- to 8-year-olds who represented a wide socioeconomic background. Specialists trained teachers to relate literature to children's experiences and to use students' experiences as literary material. In workshops and classrooms, teachers used stories, pictures, poems, and class discussion to encourage student response and expression, both oral and written. To encourage creativity, correction of grammatical and spelling errors was de-emphasized. Evaluations were made of taped classroom and workshop sessions, oral and written reports prepared by the teachers and CAREL staff, and children's written work. Results indicated improvement in children's self-expression and writing ability. Teachers accepted students and responded to them more readily than before training and used less structured teaching strategies. It is recommended that future programs seek staff members representing different backgrounds and life styles. Appendixes describe participants, evaluations, and curriculum content. (DR)