The purpose of the research was to determine the effects of direct and indirect teaching style on elementary students ranked "high" and "low" in social-emotional development. Twenty teachers who demonstrated direct and indirect teaching styles were identified; 94 elementary students were ranked high and low, based on five measures of social-emotional development. The review of research indicated that an educational environment compatibly matched with student development would produce significant gains. A 2 x 2 design was employed with "matched" (direct-low and indirect-high) and "mismatched" (direct-high and indirect-low) groups. Reading instruction was conducted daily for a minimum of 20 days. Observation and paper-and-pencil techniques were used to collect in-class data. It was concluded that students demonstrated greater cognitive and affective gains when instructed by teachers whose styles were consistent with the student's level of development. Recommendations for education and research were derived. (A 38-item bibliography and appendixes of related research material are included.) (Author/MJM)