TO RAISE THE LITERACY LEVELS OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN THROUGH THE USE OF INDIGENOUS NONPROFESSIONALS IN A HOME-BASED TUTORING PROGRAM THE SUPPLEMENTARY TEACHING ASSISTANCE IN READING (STAR) PROGRAM OFFERED READING READINESS INSTRUCTION TO 490 FIRST-GRADE CHILDREN OF LOWER-CLASS PUERTO RICAN ORIGIN. MONOLINGUAL AND BILINGUAL NONPROFESSIONALS EITHER TUTORED THE CHILD IN THE HOME WITH THE PARENT OBSERVING AND SUPPLEMENTING THE INSTRUCTION OR TAUGHT THE PARENT DIRECTLY AND HAD NO CONTACT WITH THE CHILD. THE LESSONS IN READING READINESS WERE ORGANIZED AROUND CODE BREAKING, FORMAL LANGUAGE, AND VISUAL-PERCEPTUAL EXERCISES. THE STAR PROGRAM WAS EVALUATED AFTER SIX MONTHS ON THE BASIS OF THE SCORES ON NINE TESTS OF 19 STAR CHILDREN, 12 STAR DROPOUTS, 90 READING CLINIC CHILDREN WHO RECEIVED DIRECT HELP FROM READING SPECIALISTS, AND 23 CONTROLS. THE PREPROGRAM FUNCTIONING LEVEL OF THE STAR CHILDREN WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR COMPARISON. THE RESULTS GENERALLY INDICATED THAT THE STAR CHILDREN HAD HIGHER MEAN SCORES ON ALL NINE TESTS THAN THE OTHER GROUPS. HOWEVER, IN COMPARISON WITH THE NATIONAL NORMS OF THE METROPOLITAN READINESS TESTS, THE STAR CHILDREN WERE FUNCTIONING ONLY AT AN "AVERAGE READINESS STATUS," DESPITE THE SPECIAL INTERVENTION EFFORTS. THE POSSIBLE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN STAR PUPILS WHO RECEIVED DIRECT TUTORING FROM THE NONPROFESSIONAL AIDES AND THOSE WHO RECEIVED HELP FROM THE PARENT TRAINED BY THE AIDE WERE NOT SIGNIFICANT. NO ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO CORRELATE PARENT INVOLVEMENT AND PUPIL ACHIEVEMENT. (EF)