This study explores different perspectives of English language learner (ELL) students' reading, writing, and oral language development. The first perspective looks at educating ELL students from a sociocultural theoretical framework as the praxis of language and learning. The second perspective explores the sequential paths that LI and L2 students follow towards literacy proficiency. The third perspective puts the study of ELL students in national, state, and district historical contexts to look for trends and development. The fourth perspective relies on various theorists and their theories to support the study of ELL students' reading, writing, and oral language development. Fifth, this study looks at past literacy research that has benefited ELL students and the need for future research. The final perspective suggests that learning environments for ELL students must be looked at to assess how and if social interaction may mediate literacy skills acquisition.