Coordination and Control of Movement
Silence Exercises
Materials Comfortable place for children to sit
For exercise 3, something that will make a noise when moved or
dropped
Purposes Culmination in control of movement and self-control
Provides a heightening of social awareness
Age Children may start the exercises when they are in the process of
learning to control their movements. They may play the silence game
when they have developed the ability to concentrate reasonable self-
control of movement, experience with silence and the sounds of silence
and have a capacity for obedience.
Presentation – Use a signal to call the children’s attention. (This can be your signal for
Exercise 1 attention during a work cycle.) Only initiate this activity when the
class is in an overall good cycle of activity. Invite all of the children to
sit in a comfortable place, letting them know they can set their work
aside if necessary.
Work from the feet to the head, have child move their large muscles,
stretch, shake and make still (feet, legs, abdomen, arms, hands,
shoulders, head). When you are finished, invite the children to close
their eyes, take a deep breath, let it out, and then quietly sit for as long
as it feels comfortable. End by singing a short gentle song.
Invite the children to return to their work. Don’t initiate this exercise
when the group is out of control. You will do this step many times,
gradually lengthening the time that you hold the silence.
You will repeat this exercise many times as long as necessary until the
group has reached a level of proficiency.
Presentation – Repeat the process for Silence Exercises 1 to the point where you break
Exercise 2 the silence. At that point, ask children to share any sounds that they
heard during the silence.
You will repeat this exercise many times as long as necessary until the
group has reached a level of proficiency.
Presentation – Before you guide the children through the relaxation process, let them
Exercise 3 know that today, once we create silence, you are going to make a
sound. Demonstrate the sound (rattling keys, dropping a pen, shaking
Coordination and Control of Movement
Silence Exercises
paper, etc.) and let the children know when they hear that sound they
should point in the direction the sound is coming from.
Guide the children through the relaxation process as in exercise 1 and 2
and create the silence. The guide will then move silently to another
location in the room and make the designated sound. Once the children
have all pointed, have the children open their eyes.
Guide the children to close their eyes and make silence. Move to
another location in the room and make the designated noise.
Repeat this process several times and end with a gentle song, as in
Silence Exercise 1.
Exercise 3 challenges the children to keep making and breaking the
silence.
Presentation – This exercise is done months after the first exercise was initiated.
Exercise 4 Once children are seated, provide an explanation of what you will do
before you guide the relaxation and enter into silence. “Today, once
we make the silence I want you to listen for your name to be called.
When you hear your name, get up from your chair and come to sit
near me. You can leave your chairs as they are.”
Guide the relaxation process as before. Once the silence is made,
begin to whisper the names of the children. Begin by calling the
most restless children and end with the most capable students. The
developing children can be called in the middle.
Wait until the child whose name was called has come to the gathering
before calling the next child. Continue to call until you have called
everyone.
Once this exercise has been successful, announce to the children that
from now on, when you see the designated signal for the silence
game (for example, you write the word silence on the board, or put
out a designated picture that will signal the initiation of the silence
exercise) then you know we will be playing the silence game.
Dismiss the children back to work.
Note: This exercise should only be initiated when you have had a
good morning. It won’t work if the energy of the class is unsettled.
Presentation - The technique for The Silence Game is the same as the technique for
Silence Game Exercise 4, except that you initiate the silence exercise by writing the
word silence on the chalkboard or setting a beautiful picture on an
Coordination and Control of Movement
Silence Exercises
easel. In the silence game, your goal is to call every child in the room
every time you initiate the game. The adult should be the only one to
initiate the Silence Game.
Points of Interest 1. For exercises 3,4 and the Silence game, the sounds of silence
Following None
Exercises
Pedagogical Never use the silence game to calm or quiet the group. Only
Notes introduce the game on a day when children are working well.
This is one of the few activities that we would interrupt the children
to do.
You should have a seat for every child in the environment.
The exercises will need to be repeated many times for the group to
become proficient.
