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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 feel that knowing he can communicate in English is certainly a plus. I would definitely keeps the lines of communication open with his parents. This child may still be just very overwhelmed and if this is his second time in 4th grade, chances are he hasn't made a lot of friends. I would try to get him to open up about his culture and share with the class often. I would also make sure to pair him with other children who can be a role model for him and at times possible guide him thus creating a friendship as well. As the teacher, I would also spend time with him each day engaged in conversation with him and possibly set aside one-on-one time with him daily as time permits. Hopefully he will begin to feel a connection to the other students as well as the teacher and begin to communicate with others more.