Stressing that building vocabulary knowledge is a continuously developing skill, acquired over a lifetime and in a variety of ways, this concept paper suggests instructional strategies that lead to word knowledge. Following a research summary and a section on implications for instructions, the paper focuses on the various instructional strategies which the teacher can choose. A section on developing independent skills offers a step-by-step vocabulary overview guide as a model for students to use on their own to learn word meanings. A 23-item bibliography is attached. (NKA)