Reading is a skill necessary for many tasks a person is required to perform as part of everyday living.For both handicapped and non-handicapped persons it is important to foster as many independent reading skills as possible in order that the individual may assume as much self-reliance as is realistically possible. Many individuals who are in need of remedial assistance to read miss out because of lack of teacher-time, and so the concept of recruiting non­ professionals to tutor is an important one to investigate. The findings of three studies comprising this thesis indicate that a varied population can successfully be trained to tutor in reading using the same behavioural package of skills (i.e., preview, delayed attention, phonics, and overcorrect­ ion.The tutors were paraprofessional aides, moderately mentally retarded adults, and parents and the tutees were moderately retarded adults and six- to eight-year-old non­ handicapped children. Tutors'use of the four behavioural skills were measured in addition to use of praise. Tutees' errors and self-corrections were measured.In all studies the effects of intervention generalised across subjects,but not across time, indicating the need for programmed generalisation training. At six months post-treatment follow up, tutees' error rates had reduced further and self­ corrections had increased, indicating a delayed arrival of effects. Significant changes occurred after the completion of the study, suggesting that it is important to continue measurements following intervention to accurately gauge a study's outcome.