Two instructional programs whose purpose is to increase vocabulary learning strategies through the teaching of thinking skills, are analyzed. The problem of vocabulary learning at school is discussed and the importance of programs such as Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Mastering Reading Through Reasoning, which includes the thinking skills that are necessary for an adequate vocabulary learning, is emphasized. Each unit of the programs is briefly characterized. The article ends with a discussion about the potentialities of programs of this type and the restrictions that are necessary to take into account when planning their implementation.Se examinan dos programas instruccionales diseñados para incrementar estrategias de aprendizaje de vocabulario a traves de las habilidades de pensamiento. Se contextualiza el problema del vocabulario en su dimension escolar, destacandose la importancia de contar con programas de esta naturaleza. La descripci6n de Vocabulary Learning Strategies y Mastering Reading Through Reasoning abarca preferentemente las diversas habilidades de pensamiento estimadas necesarias para un aprendizaje de vocabulario adecuado. Se caracterizan las unidades que conforman los programas y se reflexiona en torno a las potencialidades de programas de este tipo y algunas restricciones que deben tenerse en cuenta al momento de su eventual aplicacion.