This paper considers the implications of four theories from the literature on instruction and describes a model for teaching critical thinking to students in grades five to eight that incorporates these theories. The theories discussed are that intellectual skills represent a more meaningful instructional goal than knowledge of content; that skill training should be supplemented with deliberate instruction designed to alter the cognitive strategies, styles and dispositions of the learner; that problem-solving competence is the most meaningful behavioral objective of instruction and can be taught in a cognitive curriculum divorced from traditional subject matter areas; and that instructional material should be developed that teaches children operations and strategies for dealing with the complex problems and decisions they face in their out-of-school hours. The development of the programed instruction teaching model is outlined and instructional materials are described. The learning objectives of the five units that make up the model are presented along with a method for collecting evaluation data. (AEA)