This report describes a program to improve student reading achievement of the targeted first, second, and third grade classes in two west central Illinois schools. More than half of each schools' population was identified as low-income. Evidence for the existence of reading problems included student surveys, oral reading rubrics, phonemic awareness and decoding inventories, and writing rubrics. Analysis of probable cause data revealed that students lacked an ability to use these reading strategies: prior knowledge, reading practice, decoding skills, and connections between reading and writing. After reviewing professional literature and evaluating the targeted students, a decision was made to select three interventions: designing learning activities that increase reading practice, developing decoding awareness, and making a connection between reading and writing. Post intervention data indicated an increase in student reading achievement. Students showed improvement in phonological and phonemic awareness, vocabulary, oral reading, expression, fluency, comprehension, and recreational reading. Students felt more confident about reading abilities. (Contains 50 references, and 10 tables and 8 figures of data; appendixes contain a survey instrument, oral reading rubrics, phonemic awareness/decoding inventories, and writing rubrics.) (Author/RS)