Among the descriptions of learning styles that characterize African American children, communalism and cooperative learning have been offered. The current investigation explored the developmental nature of this dimension among 2- to 5-year-old girls and boys (N = 44). Help-seeking behaviors were observed and coded. Variable frequencies (source of help, age, type of help solicitation, and kind of activity) were tallied, and associations between variables were examined. Associations between variables were arranged in a log linear analysis, and a log linear post hoc analysis was conducted. Type of help solicitation was found to significantly affect help source. Age and kind of activity did not significantly affect help source. Post hoc analysis revealed that children approached teachers more than peers for social help and peers more than teachers for academic help. Implications for effective communal/cooperative learning structures during early childhood are proposed.
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