ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to involve parents in a project which would make a significant difference to children's low reading achievement with a limited input of professional time. The experiment evaluated the effectiveness of parents' systematic use of token reinforcement in teaching word-recognition skills to children who were significantly retarded in reading. The treatment programme was carried out in busy homes, in many of which both parents were working. The parental training was brief in a large group of never less than 20 people, supplemented by two 30-minute sessions at home. The parents were given a handout with the programme clearly specified, and it was then discussed point by point. The parents demonstrated with the child how they were carrying out the checking, reinforcing and recording. If their behaviour was very deviant, or if the parent expressed anxiety, the procedures were demonstrated with their child. The cards were made by the children's parents from materials supplied by the school.
