THE PEABODY-CHICAGO-DETROIT READING PROJECT, A 3-YEAR PROJECT, COMPARED SIX APPROACHES FOR BEGINNING READING INSTRUCTION TO YOUNG EDUCABLE MENTAL RETARDATES--(1) THE LANGUAGE-EXPERIENCE APPROACH (LE) USING TRADITIONAL ORTHOGRAPHY (TO), (2) LE USING I/T/A, (3) THE BASAL READER APPROACH (BR) USING TO, (4) BR USING I/T/A, (5) BR USING THE REBUS, AN APPROACH DEVELOPED AT PEABODY, AND (6) A PROGRAMED TEXTBOOK APPROACH USING TO. EACH OF THESE APPROACHES IS DESCRIBED. DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PROJECT, INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS AND MATERIALS WERE ORGANIZED AND TRIED OUT, AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND TEACHER-PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED. THE TEACHERS, RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO THE SIX APPROACHES, USED THE ASSIGNED APPROACH IN CLASSES WITH THOSE CHILDREN AT THE READINESS OR BEGINNING READING STAGES. AFTER 2 YEARS OF INSTRUCTION, THE RESULTS OF STANDARDIZED TESTS GIVEN TO 321 PUPILS IN 85 CLASSES SHOWED A MEAN GAIN OF 5 1/2 MONTHS. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES AMONG ANY OF THE APPROACHES WERE NOTED, IMPLYING THAT INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH DID NOT AFFECT SIGNIFICANTLY THE READING ACHIEVEMENT OF YOUNG EDUCABLE MENTAL RETARDATES DURING THE FIRST 2 YEARS OF INSTRUCTION IF THEY WERE NONREADERS AT THE OUTSET. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE FOURTH ANNUAL I.T.A. CONFERENCE (MONTREAL, AUGUST 11, 1967). (NS)