While a broad study was being made by the writer on the subject, Maladjustments Arising in Normal Children from Inability to Learn to Read by Modern Educational Methods,2 the striking part played by the reactions of the parents toward the reading failures prompted the decision to treat this topic as a separate paper. One hundred children possessing an average English vocabulary, normal intelligence (from 90 to 140 I.Q.) and noticeable physical defects that would lead to maladjustments were chosen from the reading'failures in grades two to ten in the San Francisco and Oakland schools, both systems giving hearty cooperation. Sixty-seven controls with similar qualifications were chosen from good readers in the same schools. Parents were interviewed in the homes and each child was given an hour's interview alone at school. Sex distribution showed 72 boys and 28 girls who were reading failures, with 48 per cent boys and 52 per cent girls in the control reading group. The economic status of the families to which the children belonged were roughly classified in per cents as 11 excellent, 38 good, 40 fair and 11 poor, giving a fairly representative cross section of the population. There was little correlation between economic status and home atmosphere as judged from the viewpoint of fitness for the upbringing of children. For example, of the 18 homes found to have an atmosphere unfit for the upbringing of children, 2 were of excellent economic status, 6 of good, 8 of fair and only 2 of poor ?conomic standing. Looking at this same unfit group from the viewpoint of intelligence, the parents of five had intelligence and education far above average, 5 were of good intelligence, 6 of fair and 2 were ignorant (not the same 2 that had poor economic standing). Evidently neither wealth, intelligence nor education, singly or together, presupposes an atmosphere fit for the upbringing of children. In general, failure in arithmetic has long been accepted in a matter-of-fact way, with the excuse that the child has no head for figures, often adding that the child takes after the mother. No such attitude was found toward reading failure in the parents interviewed. The child that cannot read is one set apart, abnormal, queer, not quite right. To get mixed on fractions and decimals is understandable but to be unable to read that is beyond the pale. It is past their comprehension that a child of normal intelligence cannot learn to read there must be something wrong with him, he is backward or perhaps subnormal. Even in cases where the school is blamed, there is always a doubt in the mind of parents and relatives that the child is quite right, because all about are siblings, classmates, neighbors, cousins or other relatives that have learned to read even if they didn't seem so smart before they went to school. As a rule the parents were puzzled, confused and at their wits end while discussing the question, though there were some parents found who showed little interest in their children's schooling, 10 per cent of the mothers and 32 per cent of the fathers (mostly of younger children; fathers seem to get closer to their children later on). The attitude of 66 per cent of the mothers and 28 per cent of the fathers was expressed by the person giving the history as worried, anxious, distressed, upset, greatly concerned, troubled, bothered or disturbed over the reading situation. Such attitudes are surely not conducive to a feeling of security on the