Research has indicated that one significant deficiency in the intellectual capabilities of disadvantaged children is a disability in abstract thinking. Although all very young children lack this ability, the environment of the middle class child provides an opportunity so that as this child matures, the ability to think in abstract terms naturally develops. The environment of the disadvantaged child does not provide adequate opportunities for the development of this ability. In response to this need of disadvantaged children, a tutorial program was created with the goal of fostering abstract thinking. The program occupies only some 15 to 20 minutes of a nursery school day; but, as it is tutorial, it is effective because of the one-to-one teacher-pupil ratio. The teaching techniques to be used in this program include (1) techniques for the development of cognitively directed perception, (2) techniques to facilitate the child's use and understanding of language, and (3) techniques to focus the child on developing problem solving skills. The several specific techniques within each of the above three broad topical areas are also delineated in the text of the paper. (WD)