This study sought to find a way to help children from educationally disadvantaged families to improve their cognitive and language abilities and thus improve their achievement in school. Specifically the study investigated the effectiveness of guided experiences with clay in promoting cognitive, affective, and language growth of educationally disadvantaged children in Columbus, Ohio schools. A total of 39 prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers were trained to teach with clay. Another 14 teachers served as controls. Teachers in the training condition were divided into groups to receive training in three teaching methods. An encouragement method, which focused on the affective domain, addressed the student's self and provided sensory feedback. An observation and discussion method, which focused on affective and cognitive domains, gave students a concept to model, addressed the self, provided sensory feedback, and helped children check perceptions against reality. A technique method, which addressed affective, cognitive, and psychomotor domains, taught children basic techniques of working with clay. A total of 326 children were randomly selected from the 53 classrooms and were tested on the effects of working with clay and of the three methods. Children were given clay to work with for 30 minutes twice a week for 16 weeks. All methods produced more cognitive, affective, and language growth in treatment groups than among controls. Children's growth increased as the number of domains addressed by intervention increased. Teachers can be trained to use the methods effectively. (RH)