As a group of researchers from the University of Texas San Antonio, we (the authors) embarked on a 10-week qualitative research study of children in paired learning situations. Specifically, we asked: What influence does working in pairs have on young children’s approaches to problem solving and their ability to verbalize and communicate a pattern to a partner? To address this question, we focused on one dual language prekindergarten classroom with 24 predominantly Latino/a, working-class families of Mexican descent in an urban private Catholic school. All 24 prekindergarten children had varying levels of Spanish and English bilingualism; however, most were native English speakers acquiring Spanish as a heritage language. We chose this campus because the teachers used a partner-based strategy for learning as a requirement in their two-way dual language program. We spent time specifically observing the interactions between two pairs of children working in the math center on patterning concepts. (author abstract)