The behaviors manifested by mothers of readers and mothers of nonreaders were observed as they taught their children two cognitive tasks. As a methodological control, both groups of mothers were required to teach two other children, one similar to and one different in ability from their own child. The subjects consisted of 40 first grade children, their mothers, and 80 additional first graders. Twenty of the mothers had children classified as problem readers and 20 had children classified as successful readers. Of the remaining first grade children, 40 were children with reading difficulties and 40 were successful readers. Each problem reader was matched with a successful reader for IQ, age, and sex. A mother initially taught her child two cognitive tasks; she then taught the same cognitive tasks to a child of the same reading ability as her own child and to a child with a different reading ability from that of her own child. The tasks consisted of teaching the child to match 12 pairs of line-drawn faces and to fit pegs of different lengths into holes of varying depths in such a manner that all the pegs were level across the top. The most significant findings was the intrusive, controlling, and negatively reinforcing teaching strategy of the mothers of nonreaders. (WR)