A longitudinal study of reading difficulties in schools in the county of Dunbarton, Scotland, was conducted in 1966. More than 1,500 children were tested after they had completed two years at school and were just over seven years of age. Important results included: about 15% of the children were without any independent reading skill, boys were found to be backward in a slightly greater proportion than girls, many children still confused left and right, and high absence and change of school rates were common in the total population. Two-hundred thirty of the most severely backward readers were tested again after they had completed three years in school. The results of this testing indicated that half of these children still required assistance in the basic skill of reading, the girls who were backward readers formed a smaller and less intelligent group than did the boys, the majority of the low reading ability children were of low average intelligence, and when all of the children who were of low reading ability but of average intelligence were retested, it was found that only one percent of these children were two or more years backward in reading. These 19 children (fifteen boys and four girls) were further tested and a diversity of disabilities was discovered. (MKM)