Four early childhood professionals, who are all English language learners, will tell their stories in this interactive presentation. They will discuss road maps and roadblocks in their journey to learning Standard English to meet academic demands, and provide specific real-life examples to support their thinking so the audience will have a clearer understanding of their perspectives. The presenters will also discuss various ways early childhood practitioners can respect and reinforce the learners' first language at home and in school. These measures are supported by research. The audience will also be engaged by discussing their challenges and strategies when dealing with ELLs/DLLs and their families in small groups and sharing these to the whole group.