A DESCRIPTION IS MADE OF AN ATTEMPT TO APPLY TO FIRST GRADE READING INSTRUCTION THE IDEA THAT CHILDREN CAN BENEFIT WHEN THE TEACHING OF READING IS ADAPTED TO THEIR COGNITIVE STYLE. PRETESTING WAS DONE TO DISCOVER THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES IN LEARNING APTITUDES, AND THE TEACHING PROCEDURE WAS MODIFIED TO EMPHASIZE COMPARATIVELY STRONG ABILITIES. TWO HYPOTHESES WERE RESEARCHED--THAT FIRST-GRADE CHILDREN WITH LOW VISUAL PERCEPTION READINESS SCORES WILL BENEFIT WHEN GIVEN INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION EMPHASIZING KINESTHETIC OR PHONIC INSTRUCTION AND THAT THE ABILITY TO PROFIT FROM SUCH METHOD OF INSTRUCTION IS RELATED TO MEASURED APTITUDE FOR THE PARTICULAR METHOD OF INSTRUCTION. THE 20 CHILDREN GIVEN SPECIAL INSTRUCTION DURING INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCES ACHIEVED BETTER IN READING THAN THE STATISTICAL PREDICTIONS BASED ON THE VISUAL PERCEPTION SCORES INDICATED. NO SIGNIFICANT ASSOCIATION COULD BE ESTABLISHED WITH EITHER THE SPECIFIC METHOD OF TEACHING USED OR THE PRESENCE OF PRESUMED APTITUDE FOR THAT METHOD.