The little boy in question (known as Greg Booker from here on - to protect his real identity) is 3 and three and quarter years old. He has attended nursery since the age of 3 and a half. Greg came for two pre visits to the nursery and both times it was observed that he did not want to leave mum's lap and was unwilling to access the activities available, nor was he encouraged too by mum. In a group or class situation he is quiet and shy and does not like to talk to his peers and you can see he feels awkward around them. He has made little attempt to make friends within the group, selecting only one other child that he likes to stand with. Greg has made firm attachments to all the adults within the setting and will happily talk freely to them.
(1)"Yet there is another group of children in our midst whose behaviour should be just as much a cause of concern to us, a group whose needs are different but just as important, and who are apt to get lost in the noise and confusion of modern life. They are the quiet children, the painfully shy, the withdrawn, the anxious, the friendless - the 'invisible children' (Makins, 1997).
but when he feels comfortable with an adult he is confident to talk to them clearly and concisely.
Background information of the family
Greg lives with mum and dad and has one older sister they live within a nuclear family environment. All grandparents and aunts and uncles live in Scotland. Greg's older sister attends the school attached to the nursery, she never attended nursery but upon entering the reception class took a very long time to settle (6 months to be precise - information obtained from reception class teachers). Mum realised that by not letting his sister attend the nursery setting was a mistake and freely admitted that she did not want the same for her son.
Observed behaviour of parent and child on entering the setting