This action research project investigated 2 different instructional procedures used for third grade students' vocabulary acquisition. We researched read-aloud trade books containing targeted vocabulary words with daily direct word learning strategies and compared that to a traditional definitional approach with 12 bilingual and 4 monolingual children. Instruction was limited to 6 words each week for 4 consecutive weeks. Findings suggested that children used more targeted words in oral and written communications when provided literature and world learning strategies.