Too Noisy, Too Boistrous

02/11/2013

To the one who knows how to look and feel, every moment of this free wandering life is an enchantment.
Alexandra David-Neel

In his guidebook, Practical Solutions to Practically Every Problem, Steffen Saifer offers advice when children are too noisy or too boistrous during free choice times. Here are a few of his ideas:

Establish a classroom rule that only quiet voices can be used inside the classroom. Demonstrate what a quiet voice sounds like...
Provide more activities with more challenges to keep children's interest high.
Put number limits on the noisiest areas, at least temporarily.
Encourage children who are playing appropriately by saying something like: "Thank you for using a quiet voice. It helps make the room a pleasant place for everyone to work."
If there are two children who tend 'to get each other going' when they play together, guide them into separate activities at the beginning of free choice.

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