Preschool readiness measures were secured on 35 pairs of disadvantaged 2- to 3-year-old lower SES black children, representing large and small families, to determine the impact of family size on readiness profiles. The findings reveal that blacks from small families achieved significantly higher scores on 3 of the 9 skill areas: Visual Memory, Expressive Language, and Expressive Concepts. The results were reviewed in the context of Inhelder-Piaget formulations concerning the early growth of the intellect, which provide a possible explanation of how intrafamily dynamics may depress the learning of black lower SES preschool children. It is suggested that replication and longitudinal studies are needed to better ascertain the long-term social and educational implications of these findings. (Author/CS)