Eight reading specialists and seven classroom teachers in Washington, D.C., taught the STARTER/101 reading program to 98 elementary school children in 1969-70. The children were chosen because they had experienced considerable difficulty in learning to read. The program, designed as a beginning reading program for urban children, consists of workbooks promoting individual work with the occasional help of a reader (teacher, tutor, etc) and can be used with individuals or with groups. Results of this study showed mean gains of 6.6 months on the Wide Range Achievement Test and similar gains on the Botel Word Opposites Test, on the informal reading inventory (Sheldon Series), and on the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, Auditory Association subtest. Reports of teachers and children were favorable, indicating the effectiveness and the appropriateness of STARTER/101. Recommendations were made for extension and further study of the program. Tables are included. (MS)