A study established the extent to which certain program materials and teaching methods were being utilized in elementary and middle grades schools in South Dakota. Each district that operated an elementary grades school, a middle grades school, or both was sent a two-part survey to complete. A total of 117 of 248 surveys were returned, for a response rate of 48%. The second part of the survey, focusing on teacher theoretical orientation, was completed by 77 of the 117 schools. Results indicated that: (1) teachers used systematic phonics instruction as a regular part of instruction in South Dakota schools; (2) the programs used were often programs that were in conjunction with other curriculum; (3) most schools used eclectic materials as their basal series curriculum for reading; (4) teachers were eclectic in their selection of teaching strategies; (5) 94% of teachers indicated that the Stanford Achievement Test was used in their school district; (6) of the teachers who responded to the second part of the questionnaire, 75% had a "skills" orientation to reading, 21% had a "phonics" orientation to reading, and 4% had a "whole language" orientation to reading. Findings suggest that a combination of phonics, skills, and wholistic instruction occurs in the reading programs surveyed. (Six tables of data are included; the questionnaire is attached.) (RS)