This paper discusses ways that students can better be taught to think. It argues that poor/low-achieving students served by Chapter 1 of the Education Consolidation and Improvement Act of 1981 could genuinely profit from instruction on thinking and that, for maximum impact, such instruction should be introduced as a course in itself, separate from the regular curricula. The paper also discusses some of the major issues and options to consider before adopting a course on thinking skills for any students. This discussion focuses on and criticizes six useful and successful existing programs on thinking skills, and then describes a new program called "Odyssey: A Curriculum for Thinking" (M. Adams, 1986). This program, jointly developed by Bolt, Beranek and Newman, Harvard University, and the Venezuelan Ministry of Education, was conducted solely in Venezuelan "barrio" schools serving students of low economic status and minimal parental education. In the discussion of all seven programs, particular attention is paid to the distinction between macrological and micrological approaches, and to the special needs of Chapter 1 students. The paper is organized into the following sections; (1) the current status of curricula on thinking; (2) what works and why; (3) the Odyssey program, including an outline of the lessons and an evaluation; and (4) conclusions. A list of references is included. (PS)