Emergent-learning arrangements may represent an effective method for establishing reading prerequisite skills with children exhibiting academic deficits as they allow for maximum gains with minimal training (Critchfield Behavior Analysis in Practice, 11(3), 206-210, 2018; Sidman The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 25(1), 5-17, 2009). The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an emergent learning procedure to teach letter-sound blends to children at-risk for reading failure. Three participants completed simple discrimination training with compound class-specific consequences. The S+ included a correctly oriented lowercase letter blend and was presented with two incorrectly oriented versions of the same letter blend. Selections of the S+ resulted in the presentation of the compound class-specific consequence that included the corresponding printed uppercase letter blend and the dictated letter sounds. Following simple discrimination training, the emergence of six arbitrary relations was assessed. Small increases in performance were observed during initial equivalence tests. Following modifications to the baseline discrimination procedures, emergence of all targeted relations was observed in four of six evaluations across three participants. These findings serve as a demonstration of the potential utility of equivalence-based instruction to establish academically relevant skills.
