Based on observations and experiences in a Title III (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) project to individualize instruction in the ungraded Rocky Boy Elementary School (grades 1-6, Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, Box Elder, Montana), this position paper considers the problem of finding a suitable or workable curriculum and classroom climate for teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic in a traditionally designed school. In the paper, the pros of individualized programmed instruction are discussed considering boy vs. girl, development of the self-learner in relation to his culture, peer-tutor relationships, achievement, characteristics of the self-learner in relation to programmed instruction, and contingency management. Cons of individualized programmed instruction are discussed in terms of the non-English-speaking child, the poor teacher, and behavioral objectivity vs. group interaction. It is suggested that individualized programmed instruction for Indian children has merit and needs further study in view of its present short period of utilization. (MJB)