Students entering school from economically disadvantaged homes may have difficulty developing early literacy skills, leading to subsequent reading difficulties and poor academic performance. It is not sufficient for at-risk children to make progress; their achievement has to be accelerated, given that their middle-class peers are also making progress. This article describes a professional development model that has evolved from work with grants based on Early Reading First. The model grew out of action research, during which we reflected on our practice to determine why children served by one grant were not making anticipated gains. The model consists of three necessary but not individually sufficient components: appropriate environment, research-based curriculum, and instruction informed by professional development. We present the research base for the model and empirical evidence for the efficacy of the model. (Contains 2 tables and 5 figures.)