The increasing number of Emergent Bilingual students (EBs) in US schools has created the need for teacher preparation programs that foster a deeper understanding of findings from cognitive science that inform best instructional practices. Although much has been said about EBs as needing to "bridge the gap" on their reading achievement in relation to their English monolingual peers, less is known about their cognitive development and how the experience of bilingualism shapes their executive control of attention. In the current article I review the history of research on bilingualism and in cognitive science as it applies to oral language and literacy development in EB students in the pre-school and elementary school years. Implications for oral language and reading development for EBs are discussed in direct relation to cognitive research findings.