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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 request a conference with Grigor and his parents. If he is able to communicate with English speakers at home and he is choosing not to do so at school, there could be something holding him back at school. Maybe he feels uncomfortable for a specific reason. He may just be a very shy student and the stress of the move and learning a new language intensified this personality trait. A conference would be a good place to attempt to better open lines of communication. If his parents could get him to talk to you about anything that was bothering him, that would be a huge start. I would then seat the students in pairs, carefully choosing someone that would best fit Grigor. One person is much easier to talk to than a group, especially if you're a shy person. Once he makes a friend, it will be easier for him to make more.