The present study was under taken during 2003-2005 with the objectives to study the level of learning abilities and study the impact of intervention on learning abilities among children residing in juvenile institutions of Dharwad division in Karanataka. Level of scholastic ability and scholastic problems of children was assessed before intervention. School based intervention program focused on improving reading, writing and arithmetic abilities of children. Results indicated that nearly 50% of institutional children were poor in reading and arithmetic abilities and nearly one third (23%) were poor in writing. Further school based intervention had significant effect in reducing reading, and writing difficulties and improved their ability to solve arithmetic sums except graded multiplication and division sums. (Contains 4 tables.)