Shy Child not Talking in Class

My daughter is one of the youngest children in her second-grade class. The teacher says that she hardly ever talks during the school day. Since the child never asks a question, the teacher does not know when she does not understand a lesson. We have just moved here from another state, so my daughter knows no one yet. I think she is just shy. What do you think? - Worried
Answer: Don't accept that everything is going to be all right, especially with red flags waving in your face. Talk with this teacher again. Surely the teacher can tell from your child's papers if she is really having academic problems. The teacher should not be relying on the child to ask questions when she doesn't understand a lesson. This is too difficult an assignment for a shy child. Work with the teacher and your child to find some other way for her to ask for help, if needed.
Being shy and not feeling at home in this classroom is an unhappy experience for your child. Don't hesitate to ask the teacher to think of ways that your child can do projects and team up with different children with whom she could become friends. Perhaps your child and another child could work at your home on an assignment. Just having one child with whom she feels comfortable could really make a difference. Work toward this goal.