Reading achievement of disadvantaged pupils who were grouped for special instruction under the same teacher in grades 1 and 2 was compared to the reading achievement of disadvantaged pupils who were instructed according to regular classroom procedures in grades 1 and 2. Pupils in the experimental group (55) were matched with pupils in the control group (54) on readiness scores from the Metropolitan Reading Readiness Test, Form A, and on mental ability scores from the Pintner-Cunningham Primary Test, Form A, both administered during the first 2 weeks of school. The Stanford Achievement Test, Primary I, was administered at the end of first grade, and the Stanford Achievement Test, Primary II, Form Y, was given at the end of second grade. There were no significant differences between the control and the experimental groups on the two variables at the beginning of grade 1. Mean achievement test scores for pupils in the experimental group were significantly higher than those for the control group both in grades 1 and 2. A significantly higher percentage of pupils in the experimental group than in the control group were reading in grade level in grades 1 and 2. The findings suggested that grouping disadvantaged pupils for instructional purposes significantly improved their chances for progress in the first two grades. (WB)