The importance of building positive attitudes and habits in developing successful reading experiences is discussed. In order to have positive attitudes toward himself and toward his reading, the child must acquire basic concepts about language and its relation to himself. Among these concepts are (1) I can talk about what I think about, (2) what I can talk about I can communicate in some other way, (3) anything I can record I can recall through speaking or reading, (4) I can read what I write and what other people write for me to read, and (5) each letter of the alphabet stands for one or more sounds that I make when I talk. Concepts for the teacher to use in guiding the child to achieve the above concepts are also listed. Reports of the way four teachers employ these principles of language experience in classroom instruction are presented, including activities and materials used. Indicators of progress in providing a setting for language expression that makes the attitudes and habits of each child central to the teaching act are listed as criteria for program evaluation. (CM)