This paper addresses the educational needs of children who speak English as a Second Language (ESL) and considers the issues that are critical to providing these children with beneficial classroom environments, focusing on the effective instruction of bilingual children who are placed in classrooms with monolingual teachers and monolingual instruction. Eight specific points address such concerns as use of the first language; first language and parent influence; cognitive abilities; the relationship between reading, listening, and speaking; situational impact; sources of learning difficulties; and assessment concerns. It is suggested that when teachers understand the role of the first language in literacy learning and build on it as a foundation for the development of English literacy, children who speak English as a second language experience greater success in school. (Contains 37 notes.) (NAV)