Patterns of teacher and student verbal behavior within a framework of reinforcement theory were analyzed through the use of a modified form of the Observation Schedule and Record 4V (OScAR). The study examined the extent to which the rewarding teacher's classroom discourse served as a model for the verbal style of a student among his peers. Data were initially collected from 30 groups; 10 preschool, 10 kindergarten, and 10 first grade classrooms. From each of these levels, six classes showing the highest frequency of teacher reinforcing verbal behavior were selected, and designated as the "rewarding teacher" group. Four pupils (two boys, two girls) were chosen at random from each class to form the final sample (N=72). The verbal statements of these pupils were scored using five scales of imitative behavior developed from the OScAR protocols. The data were analyzed using a 2 x 3 factoral design (sex x grade levels). Female pupils imitated significantly more than males on four of the five verbal categories. In three of the analyses grade level differences were located, and for only one analysis was there a significant interaction. Three findings are of importance in demonstrating the potential of the OScAR technique for measuring constructs such as imitation and for measuring pupil as well as teacher behavior. (Included is a 22-item list of references.) (Author)