A laboratory and a classroom study were conducted to determine if verbal association learning would be facilitated by visual discrimination training. Kindergarten children who could not recognize the letters used were the subjects for both studies. In the laboratory study, 90 subjects were randomly assigned to the experimental group (E) which got visual discimination training focusing attention on distinctive features of letters b, d, p, and q; to control group one (C-1) which got visual discrimination training without attention to distinctive features; or to control group two (C-2) which was exposed to the same materials but not to the training. The results indicated that group E learned letter names significantly better than did either of the control people. In the classroom study, 203 subjects were randomly assigned to groups as before. Instruction consisted of giving visual discrimination training, letter-name training, and workbook exercises in which groups E and C-1 were required to match letters and group C-2 matched geometric shapes. No significant differences were noted for any of the groups. It was concluded that while the theoretical rationale was sound, classroom procedure was at fault in the second study. Tables, sample materials, and a bibliography are included. (Author/MS)