The teacher of gifted children must provide for individual differences in level and skills of reading, and allow opportunities for children to pursue their own interests. To avoid the destructive syndrome of wasted time and unnecessary rote review, the teacher should assign each child reading materials on the basis of his achievement level (rather than his grade level) and, using a criterion-referenced reading system, concentrate on those particular skills which the child has not yet mastered. This can be accomplished by designing tests and lessons for each specific reading objective--the teacher should initiate instruction only after first having ascertained what each child does not know. Using this approach, opportunities for new learning are maximized, and the teacher can insure children additional time for rewarding, independent work. (MF)