Ming is a new, third-grade student whose family has just moved to the United States from China. Although she was learning some English terms in her former school, she is far from functional. Her new teacher, Mrs. Johnson, notices that despite the fact that she seems attentive to the conversations going on around her, Ming maintains silence with both adults and peers even after having been in the class for almost two weeks. She is concerned that if Ming does not practice, she will delay her own progress in learning to speak and comprehend English. Mrs. Johnson decides to speak with Ming’s English Language Learner (ELL) support teacher. Which of the statements below would be the most appropriate response that the ELL support teacher could make to address Mrs. Johnson’s concerns regarding Ming’s silence?
