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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 think it is easy to assume that because this student is an ELL student, his lack of communication is due to some language barrier. WHile this is entirely possible, the issue may be more about his inability to transition to this new school experience. I would consider this especially considering his reading and writing abilities and his social skills outside of the classroom. I would consult with his previous teacher to determine avenues already exhausted. There could be some issues of embarrassment after he was retained which may also compound his adjustment. I would treat this the way you would treat a student with emotional issues who doesn't socialize to better attain the exact reasons for his silent period.
 
     
     
  Rating
The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes
The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes
The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes
The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes
The suggested solution is original Yes
Comments: I agree, find out what didn't work for him from the other teacher and then try new techniques, like you said it could just be him having trouble adapting.
Rated On: October 19, 2014 3:51 pm
Rated By: Angela Avery
 
     
     
  Rating
The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes
The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes
The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes
The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes
The suggested solution is original Yes
Comments: I think communicating with Grigor's previous teachers is a great idea to find out more about the boy and what might make him open up.
Rated On: October 19, 2014 10:43 pm
Rated By: Adam Sanchez
 
     
     
  Rating
The suggested solution is respectful of the individual (student) Yes
The suggested solution is relevant to the case Yes
The suggested solution is reasonable (easy) for the teacher to implement Yes
The suggested solution is likely to solve the problem/issue Yes
The suggested solution is original Yes
Comments: I agree that this could be an issue of embarrassment.
Rated On: March 6, 2017 1:32 am
Rated By: Hasena Kurtić