The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a context approach to learning reading vocabulary with the effectiveness of the context approach accompanied by illustrations. Subjects were 152 fourth graders from 19 reading classes in 8 elementary schools. Materials included illustrated and nonillustrated vocabulary cards, a researcher-made multiple-choice instrument, and a widely used achievement test, which was used to identify the subjects as good or poor readers. The researcher made instrument was administered as a pretest during the first week of the study. Forty-eight vocabulary words were taught during the second through fifth weeks. The instrument was given again as a posttest during week six and as a delayed posttest during week twelve. Results were analyzed with the analysis of covariance procedure.