This study showed the effectiveness of two parent education programs designed to increase young children's sustained attention to verbal stimuli. Forty 18- to 24-month-old children and their mothers served as subjects under three different conditions: Full Treatment Program of home training, home visits, group meetings for mothers, and curriculum materials; Partial Treatment Program of home training and visits and no educational materials or group meetings; and No Treatment. The mothers in the Full and Partial Treatment Groups modelled new and expanded action and verbal patterns during daily, familiar activities in the home during a 3-month period. Measurements of sustained attention included a mental development scale, a rating of language development, and a Sustained Attention to Verbal Stimuli Scale developed for the study. Results showed that the Full Treatment Program was significantly more effective for increasing young children's sustained attention to verbal stimuli than the Partial Treatment Program and the No Treatment. Theoretical and practical aspects of these results are discussed. (Author/CS)