Bad behavior / start school - on 5 year old

We have adopted a little girl from Ukraine last year by this time of the year; she was 4 and a half.
She had a very difficult adapting period - perhaps she wasn't explained what was happening to her and she didn't know what to expect leaving the orphanage. But she got over it (more or less) with a nice period of daycare for the last 8 months.
Now she started school, she started to act again as at the beginning of our stay together. We understand she has to readapt to new rules, and is difficult for her to accept new challenges and new ruling people. From the beginning she was challenging all authority.
My question is: what to do now since she became violent towards me. Yes, she was tired after school, hungry, she maybe not feeling well,… but, why hitting me? Why rolling on the street, why this anger? She bad answering us when we ask simple questions, she talks back when talking to her….She picks up all the bad habits we don’t like in our house.
We are really concerned about her behavior. How we can help her to change and calm her?

[tinkerbell1124]

My son goes through spurts of acting out. He will be 5 in a month. Though he actually LOVES school. BUT at home he has his days. He's tried hitting talking back, you name it. BUT he gets punished for it. Whether it be a time out, toys get taken away, NO snacks, thing like that. I when he's done with his fit, we TALK to him. Make him LOOK us straight in the eye when we are talking. Make sure he understands WHY he was punished.

[tinkerbell1124]

My son goes through spurts of acting out. He will be 5 in a month. Though he actually LOVES school. BUT at home he has his days. He's tried hitting talking back, you name it. BUT he gets punished for it. Whether it be a time out, toys get taken away, NO snacks, thing like that. I when he's done with his fit, we TALK to him. Make him LOOK us straight in the eye when we are talking. Make sure he understands WHY he was punished.

[Liana2010]

Thank you tinkerbell124 to share with me your experience and knoledge about the bad behaviour in children this age.
Have a nice day,
Liana

[tinkerbell1124]

Your welcome. Maybe try talking with her. Maybe something is wrong you don't know about. Sometimes kids act out when there is something bothering them.