This paper examines the use of elaboration and overt rehearsal as strategies for increasing kindergarten children's retention and recall of shape names. The study is part of a large scale investigation concerned with improving the school achievement of Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian children. Twenty-four kindergarten children enrolled in a demonstration school of the Kamehameha Early Education Program(KEEF) participated in the study. Each child was assigned to one of three treatment conditions: (1) elaboration, in which a shape name was associated with a common object and included in a story; (2) rehearsal, in which the child repeated the shape name until a new shape was introduced; and (3) control, in which the child was asked to trace the shape and say its name. Recall was examined immediately after training, two hours later, and one week later. Results indicated no significant differences between the groups on immediate recall. Elaboration subjects, however, had superior recall on the long-term (one week later) test. Across groups, subjects' scores were positively related to IQ and to number of acquisition trials, and negatively related to delay of testing after training. The educational implications for using elaboration as an instructional strategy are discussed. (BD)