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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!)
Grigor could most definately still be going through a silent period, not likely, but it is still a possibility. All ELL students adapt to their new environments differently and it is hard to pinpoint when exactly certain teirs will be met. In the case of Grigor, I would really try to setup a meeting with the parents to discuss his academic performance. If Grigor is not communicating with anyone, I strongly doubt he is earning good grades in his classes. Also an obervation I pulled from the Case Scenario is that Grigor's parents have English speaking people come over to the house and Grigor talks to them. Do his parents speak English? If they do, then I believe this completely changes the ballgame. If he speaks English at home and his parents do too, then this is absolutely a comfort level at school. Something is happening at school that has caused him to completely shut down. This could be bullying, comfort level with his peers or teachers, or anything else that makes him not want to participate. If this in not figured out, Grigor may never want to open up at his current school.