Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Silent Period Grigor is in my 4th grade classroom. He came to the US last year with his family from Bulgaria. He was in 4th grade at our school last year as well. He was retained in 4th grade because he did not develop his English language skills. I learned about a "silent period" that children go through when they learn a new language. My guess is that Grigor is in the silent period. But it does not make sense to me that he would be in the silent period for almost two years. He does not say anything in class. He does not socialize with his classmates either. He can read and write in simple English though. His parents tell me that he acts completely normal at home and he is able to communicate with English speaking people at home when they have guests. This is really puzzling. I have to find a way to communicate with Grigor and discover what is holding him back from communicating with people at school. I need some help. Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) It is possible that Grigor is simply shy in the classroom and is having trouble adjusting. At my school, teachers can recommend specific students to attend lunch bunch with one of the counselors. A couple times a week, these students bring a friend to the counselor's room and join a small group for lunch. Depending on why the student is at lunch bunch, (behavior, resource, etc.) the counselor leads a group discussion to make the students feel more comfortable. Perhaps having small group moments like this would help Grigor open up to his classmates. It might be a good idea to create a lunch bunch for other ELL students. They could talk about what it was like to move to the United States. These students could share what they miss about their homes, what they like about the United States, and how moving has effected them. Grigor might be able to open up more in a smaller group setting which might allow him to open up in the classroom.