TeacherServer.com
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!)
I would recommend asking Grigor to help you get some information and develop activities that are related to Bulgaria. You could have Grigor create illustrations and displays that show what his home country looks like. By integrating something familiar for him into your classroom, it may help Grigor open up more. Moreover, the other students could come up with questions to ask Grigor about his home country. This could help facilitate positive peer relationships. The students would also all be working on developing their interpersonal skills.