Secondary Literacy Guide

Resources for Supporting Multilingual Students

SLIFE Students

Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE), are multilingual learners that have either experienced gaps in their formal education or have limited or no formal education. SLIFE experience interrupted schooling in their home countries for a number of reasons, the predominant ones being economic hardship and migration to the United States. It is important to be aware of the potential socioemotional needs of SLIFE and to consider how instability in their home countries or trauma during their migration journeys may affect their learning and schooling experiences in the United States. SLIFE have a wide range of academic needs and strengths that vary based on their previous educational and life experiences. Since many SLIFE have limited literacy skills in their primary language, they often require intensive instruction in foundational literacy and writing skills, vocabulary, and comprehension. It is also critical to identify and acknowledge the strengths and real-world knowledge that SLIFE bring to the classroom and provide opportunities for students to share their diverse perspectives, experiences, and talents with their peers. Multilingual learners are a heterogeneous population with a variety of profiles depending on their time in US schools, formal schooling, home language proficiency, and socioeconomic status. This resources provides information for:

Supporting Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) Consider these strategies for providing SLIFE with appropriate learning opportunities.

Multilingual Learner Assets

●​ Multilingual Learner Assets ●​ Multilingual Learner Profiles ●​ Leveraging Students’ Language Assets

Multilingual learners bring a wealth of diverse knowledge and experiences to our schools.

○​ Learn About Primary Languages ○​ Build Cross-Linguistic Connections

Differentiating Language Launch Instruction

Access opportunities for scaffolding and differentiation embedded throughout the Language Launch lessons based on your students’ needs.

Last Updated April 14, 2025 ​

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Literacy, Page 84