THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHING VOCABULARY CONCEPTS THROUGH DIRECT EXPERIENCE AND THE INFLUENCE ON READING ACHIEVEMENT AND CONCEPT ACHIEVEMENT WERE STUDIED. FORTY-TWO FIFTH-GRADE PUPILS DIVIDED INTO 21 PAIRS MATCHED ON SEX AND INTELLIGENCE WERE ASSIGNED RANDOMLY TO AN EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUP. FOR 19 WEEKS, TWICE A WEEK FOR A TOTAL OF 40 LESSONS THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WAS TAUGHT VOCABULARY EMPHASIZING INSTRUCTION THROUGH DIRECT EXPERIENCE. THE CONTROL GROUP, FOR THE SAME PERIOD OF TIME, RECEIVED REGULAR INSTRUCTION WHICH STRESSED DICTION, STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS, ANTONYMS, SYNONYMS, AND CONTEXT CLUES. ALTERNATE FORMS OF THE IOWA READING TEST AND A VOCABULARY LIST WERE ADMINISTERED AS A PRE- AND POST-TEST TO MEASURE READING ACHIEVEMENT AND CONCEPT ACHIEVEMENT RESPECTIVELY. BOTH THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL GROUPS GAINED SIGNIFICANTLY IN READING ACHIEVEMENT AND CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT. NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN READING ACHIEVEMENT BETWEEN THE GROUPS WAS FOUND. HOWEVER, THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP SHOWED SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER GAINS IN CONCEPT ACHIEVEMENT. TEACHING PROCEDURES AND MATERIALS ARE DESCRIBED. IMPLICATIONS, SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH, AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (BK)