ABSTRACT
The SRA Reading Lab, first published in 1956, was a learning system intended to offload instruction of reading skills (speed, vocabulary, and comprehension) from teachers in grades 2–7, who would then be free to focus on education more broadly conceived. The system was contained in a single box and intended to be managed primarily by the students according to a strict program laid out in a Teacher’s Handbook. The early versions of the Reading Lab described in this case (1956–1964) were used in many contexts where it proved highly motivating, although it benefitted primarily students already achieving well.
