A teaching method particularly effective with children who are hard to teach arithmetic and reading is described. Known as a direct instructional system for teaching arithmetic and reading, it is a set of materials in which everything the teacher says and does is specified. This technique is effective in small group instruction. Specific procedures for presenting tasks and evaluating responses are: (1) getting classroom control: seat children close to the teacher; (2) presentation of the learning task: the materials are designed to teach with a sharp focus upon sequential details; (3) inducement of trial responses: the materials are designed for a fast rate of responses from the students and they can be controlled by the teacher's use of signals to secure responses; (4) corrections of trial responses: corrections are built in along with procedures for correcting and recycling; (5) evaluation of mastery: periodic criterion-referenced tests are built into the materials. Directions are given for advancing or recycling students after each test. The strength of the direct instruction approach is that it involves a specific method for teaching a set of skills and concepts. (JD)