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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 assume that few teachers have reached out to Grigor if he is still in the silent period after one year at school. He must still not be comfortable in the setting since his behavior is normal at home. He also is probably feeling lonely and isolated if he is not socializing with classmates. It is important to make Grigor feel welcome and comfortable in the classroom and create a place where he feels safe to express who he is. Igoa points out that even though students are silent, they still comprehend a lot. And we can see this in his ability to communicate with guests in his home in English. Eliminate any feeling of ridicule, and help create circumstances where Grigor begins to feel successful. Provide outlets for creative expression where Grigor can begin to explore his feelings about adaptation to a new life in the US, such as the filmstrips in Igoa's book. Igoa says this phase can last more than two years if the child finds no connections, so help him build a friendship with you and with other students. I would also speak with his parents and see if there are any tips they have to get him to open up, and I would learn as much as I can about Bulgarian culture to be able to understand how to better relate to and connect with him. |
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Rating
| The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is relevant to the case |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is original |
Yes
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| Comments: I totally agree that making someone feel welcome and smart and funny or any other good feeling will make them like you more and they will eventually open up. |
| Rated On: October 19, 2014 10:53 pm |
| Rated By: Adam Sanchez |
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Rating
| The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is relevant to the case |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is original |
Yes
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| Comments: I agree with your solution 100%. It is very important to make a genuine connection with every student, but especially students like Grigor. I would handle this situation similarly. |
| Rated On: March 4, 2016 9:29 pm |
| Rated By: Melissa Dison |
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Rating
| The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is relevant to the case |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is original |
Yes
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| Comments: Feeling lonely would not be unheard of so providing an outlet is great. |
| Rated On: October 8, 2018 2:54 pm |
| Rated By: uQuJyh |
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Rating
| The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is relevant to the case |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue |
Yes
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| The suggested solution is original |
Yes
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| Comments: I agree with you! This silent period is quite obviously a sign of discomfort and loneliness. Helping him build friendships is very important, as well as providing him with outlets that he needs in order to express himself in a comfortable way! |
| Rated On: October 31, 2021 9:33 pm |
| Rated By: dedyqa |
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