My DS, 5 but nearly 6, is so shy with adults it's starting to affect him at school. Firstly, he has no problems making friends and has a wide circle of friends at school, but he's so shy he can't speak to any adults. Also we're in another country so no English spoken at school.
Had a teacher's meeting at school this week, she told me that he was doing really well, produces good work and obviously understands everything that is said to him but that he never speaks to her only the other children in the class, so she doesn't actually know if he can speak the language, although she knows he's understanding what he's reading etc, she actually hasn't heard him ever construct a sentence. She says, all she ever sees is his head down working and then big eyes looking up at her - my other DC is in trouble constantly for talking in class so this is unchartered territory for me.
I don't really know what to do, he goes to football and other groups without me and joins in willingly, does as he's asked but just doesn't really speak to the adults. I've heard him chatting to his friends and they all understand him, but I brought of mine today who he has known since he was born, he only ever says hello and goodbye to her but today she was chatting to him and you could see he was just all curled up inside and really consumed by shyness. He couldn't speak.
I took him shopping and to the library today and got him to ask for the books and the bread, he knew both adults so they weren't strangers, and bless him he did it, but it was hard work for him.
Just looking for a way to really bring him out of his shell a bit. At home he's not shy at all and in fact is very assertive and demanding with me, but at school he's the quietest little thing, I wouldn't like to think that he's being held back at school by his unwillingness to speak.