Field-dependent and field-independent cognitive styles of Chicano mothers were examined in relation to: (a) the role that cognitive styles play in determining individual differences in maternal teaching strategies; (b) the role of maternal teaching strategies as mediators of children's development of cognitive style; (c) the emergence of field dependence-independence as a coherent construct of cognitive style in young Chicano children; and (d) cognitive style sex differences in young Chicano children. Forty three Chicano mothers were observed, in their homes, teaching cognitive perceptual tasks to their own 5-year-old children, and each mother and child was administered a battery of measures to assess field dependence-independence. Among the results discussed was the finding that field-independent mothers used inquiry and praise as teaching strategies and field-dependent mothers more frequently taught through modeling. Also, the contrasting tendencies toward greater or less self-nonself segregation and their cognitive and personality sequelae enter into the mother's choice of teaching strategies. It was found that each mother teaches her young child using the type of strategy that is likely to stimulate in the child the development of a cognitive style similar to her own. In addition, a coherent construct of field dependence emerges somewhat earlier in female than in male Chicanos. (Author/SE)