Approaches and materials which are used to develop the vocabulary of high risk students at the University of Southern Colorado, an open enrollment university, are described in this paper. A basic skills reading course is required of students scoring below the 22nd percentile on the Cooperative English Test and a developmental reading course is required of all students scoring below the 81st percentile. The sections of the basic skills course emphasize vocabulary development and dictionary usage, words in context, word parts, language, varying interpretations of known words, and college level words. Cognate words with Spanish are noted, and attention is given to developing understanding of figures of speech. Materials used for instruction include ''Reading Power," by James Brown;"Mini Course in Vocabulary," tape 1, by Royce Adams; and "Programed Vocabulary 3600," by Feinstein. (MKM)