An improvisational dramatics program was developed to improve the reading achievement and school attitudes of disadvantaged elementary school children. The program, based on the rationale that encouraging self-awareness and creative self-expression will improve communication skills, reading achievement, and attitudes, was used with 141 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade Black and Hispanic students in two economically disadvantaged regions of a large Eastern city. Students in the program were taught role playing and storymaking or playwriting, as well as a number of improvisational exercises. Each student completed an attitude scale as a pretest and posttest. Student performance on a standardized achievement test served as achievement pretest scores, while scores on a district-wide standardized achievement test served as posttest scores. Results showed significant improvement in reading achievement and in attitudes, specifically self-expression, trust, acceptance of others, self-awareness, and awareness of others. (Items from the attitude scale and an exercise created by the students are appended.) (FL)