Teacher Discussion Forums

i have perry every monday for about fifty minutes. it's not only unfortunate that it's only once a week, but more so that the texts the previous teacher assigned him (though somewhat interesting) don't seem to help him speak, though i push towards it.
i was curious if anyone had some sort of activity beyond the given texts that could more successfully get him to speak more. his comprehension is medium and his reading is very good (typical).

Getting him to speak more can really depend on his comfort level and his motivation/interests. What age are you dealing with? There are lots of activities around, not just straight from the textbook type stuff, that can get them interested in what they're talking about (take a look at the Idea Cookbook of this website). If you find a topic that he likes you can milk it for all its worth. Once you get them talking and sharing their ideas, they will want to learn more to express themselves better. Disguising the fact that he is learning can really be helpful. Remember the main idea is to get them speaking more. Also, make sure he feels comfortable speaking in front of you because it can be quite intimidating - especially if he's unsure of himself. Depending on the age, try acting a little goofy yourself to help ease his insecurities. Good luck and I hope this helps.