This report examines patterns related to academic performance and language development in the lives of 16 children of Mexican descent in grades 3-5 who were identified as learning disabled. Research questions focused on factors that made these students eligible for referral for learning disabilities, patterns in the development of students' oral and literacy skills, and how such factors and patterns impact on their future opportunities for language and literacy development and advanced academic success. Data collection included review of student academic records; interviews with students, parents, teachers, and other staff; and oral reading sessions with each student. Findings do not address whether the students were, in fact, learning disabled. However certain generalizations emerged. All children began school anxious to learn but were overwhelmed as instruction became meaningless due to incomprehensible input. Because students had developed basic English language abilities appropriate for contextualized environments, teachers overestimated their abilities to handle context-reduced texts that rely on previous experiences and higher levels of language proficiency for construction of meaning. Noticing limited progress, teachers suspected disability. Parents were not aware of the demands the curriculum made on their children, nor of the level of linguistic skills necessary to succeed in school. Children's early experiences with reading and language were limited. Homework and much classwork was out of the zone of proximal development of these learners and their parents. Special education interventions were too restrictive to promote change, given these learners' characteristics and needs. Recommendations are offered for policy makers, practitioners, and parents. Contains 85 references and interview questions. (SV)