A study relating mothers' language styles and techniques of family control to children's cognitive development was conducted with 163 urban Negro mothers from the lower and middle classes and their 4-year-old children. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) There was a significant negative correlation between responses of status-oriented mothers and personal- or cognitive-oriented mothers. (2) There was a significant negative correlation between responses of mothers using imperatives and those using instructions. (3) Status-normative orientation and impreative language were significantly and positively related, while personal-subjective and cognitive-rational orientation and instructive language tended to be positively related. (4) Status-normative oriented mothers had limited language, whereas elaborate language was used by personal-subjective and cognitive-rational oriented mothers. (5) Children of status-normative oriented mothers did not perform as well as children of personal-subjective and cognitive-rational oriented mothers. (6) Mothers language styles were significantly correlated with their children's performance on various cognitive measures. (7) Lower class mothers used imperative language and were status-normative oriented, whereas middle class mothers used instructive language and were personal-subjective and cognitive-rational oriented. Implications indicate that because of social-status differences, effective intervention must involve social reform. (JS)