An exploratory and descriptive study of instruction for Hispanic Limited-English-Proficient (LEP) students is presented. The study was based on data collected during part of a 4-year project to develop teacher training modules for teachers of learning disabled and mildly mentally retarded Hispanic LEP children. As a result of the second year of the project, which involved classroom observation and videotaping of actual classes, a secondary study was developed to identify major types of instructional practices employed with LEP children in special education. The descriptive information contained in this report is anchored with data on task engagement in order to evaluate the effectiveness of various instructional techniques. Observations indicated that direct instruction enhanced task engagement, and that this relationship was mediated by the nature of instruction--the most engaging activities drew heavily upon the experience, language background, and interests of the students. It was also noted that instruction at high conceptual levels was possible when the native language is used. Finally, task engagement during seatwork was closely related to the ability of the teacher to provide guidance and individualized instruction. (JL)