Our Lucky Little Learners community is a special place where teachers from around the world gather to discuss best practices and share advice and inspiration. One of the most popular topics that comes up year after year is how to manage a talkative class.
- How can you corral the chatter so you can get through a lesson without interruptions?
- How do you ease transitions so the room doesn't erupt into chaos?
- How can you get that one student to quiet down long enough to listen to the directions?
We get it! When the class chattiness is on overdrive, it's time to give something new a try. Keep reading for ideas and strategies shared by the teachers in our Lucky Little Learners community on the best strategies to try with a talkative class.
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Effective Routines for a Talkative Class
Teaching routines and expectations is not just for the beginning of the year. Model, review, and reinforce your routines and procedures often, and don't be afraid to start over. We all need a reset button sometimes! Review classroom expectations and give visual reminders with expectation charts.
1. Teach appropriate voice levels
“During whole group instruction, we have practiced when it’s ok to talk. We do a lot of turn-to-shoulder buddy and discuss. I have opportunities for them to talk, and then when we do center work, or seat work, I let them library-level chat. The first 2 weeks it’s pretty chatty but once they realize that it’s ok to chat when we aren’t in a whole group lesson they chat but not as much. We are social beings… why fight it all day long? Whole group lessons aren’t an issue, they know now is not the time.”
B.R., Lucky 2nd Grade Teacher
2. Weave in social learning routines
Instead of trying to corral the chatter, why not find a way to redirect it? Make student communication a useful part of your daily learning routine with these five tips.
3. Incorporate chat breaks
“Something that works for me is to schedule “talking time”. It might be 3 minutes here, 2 minutes there or if they’ve worked hard 5 minutes. Really make a distinction between “my time” which means teaching time, and “their time”. If you have a rule breaker, call them out for not holding up their end of the deal. When I tell a student, “You aren’t playing fair, I didn’t interrupt your (talking) time, so why are you interrupting my time?” It hits home. So, during snack time, recess, talking time, I try to be totally silent and not interrupt so that they fully get “their time”.
B.P., Lucky 2nd Grade Teacher
“I use time in the beginning of the day to get the chatter out. School is a social place for them and by letting them have conversations they learn a lot too, and by listening it gives me ideas on things we can work with, what interest them. If we have time we usually do a shorter round at the end of the day too. This has stopped a lot of the talking in the classroom…”
L.K., Lucky 2nd Grade Teacher
4. Integrate movement breaks
Get students up and moving with frequent movement breaks. This post includes a list of our favorite brain breaks and attention-getters.
5. Try a wireless doorbell
Need a nonverbal cue to get students to listen? Use a wireless doorbell or similar chime to get students' attention. With a little tech-savvy, you can even program doorbells with different sounds for different activities (example: stop activity, line up, freeze, etc). Check out more creative ways to use a doorbell in the classroom here.
6. Use voice level lights
Give your students a visual reminder of what voice level they should use with voice level lights. Use tap lights to indicate the level needed for the activity (silent, whisper, table talk, partner talk, etc).
7. Offer incentives
Quiet Critters (aka “Desk Pets”)
Quiet critters and desk pets—distraction or a worthwhile classroom incentive? Students often can’t resist earning these special rewards and will adjust their behavior to get one.
Here's how one teacher uses them in her classroom:
“Right now (at the beginning of the year) they’re sitting in the jar waiting for my students to be quiet. My kids are very excited about using them and are trying really hard to be quiet during independent time. Once I place a quiet critter on the desk the students need to be quiet. If they touch the critter it goes back into the jar. They have to be quiet for at least three days for the critters to come out. Next week we will start having critters on our desks. Ease into it. The kids will come around and really want them on their desks. It does take time and there have been years that my kids didn’t get the critters until November.”
A.J., Lucky 2nd Grade Teacher
Management Strategies Especially for Talkative Classes
Every behavior stems from a need. If students are talking constantly, they are displaying a need for connection and communication. Limiting their opportunities for free movement, play, and thinking (like taking away recess, free time, or enforcing silent snack/lunch) may make the talkative issue worse. Instead, reinforce positive behavior by highlighting when students are doing a great job.
Look for the good, and you will find it!
1. Brag Tags
Brag tags are our #1 favorite way to reinforce and celebrate positive behaviors in the classroom.
Learn how to set up a Brag Tag system in the classroom here.
2. Use a music box
“With my most talkative classes, I use a wind-up music box that could be switched on and off. I wind it up at the beginning of the day. Every time I was ready to talk and they kept talking, I would switch it on and let it play until everyone was quiet. If they had any music left on it at the end of the day they would get a 5 minute recess, drawing time, or other quick reward. At the beginning I would give a reward if they had music left at lunch, and again at the end of the day. When they were successful at that I extended it to all day.”
S.W., Lucky 2nd Grade Teacher
3. Play Bubble Bounce
Encourage mindful concentration and silence with this relaxing bubble bounce video. Like any skill, active, silent listening requires practice and persistence.
4. Table points
“As a group they compete for points by following rules and expectations. The team with the most points at the end of the month wind a prize from the treasure box. They regulate each other.”
M.L., Lucky 2nd Grade Teacher
5. Bead jar
“Every time they are ‘caught’ being quiet they get some added and when it’s full, they get a special day! PJ/movie day, bring your favorite board game, etc.”
A.R., Lucky 2nd Grade Teacher
Explicitly Teach Self Control
Sometimes students feel like they just have to share with the class, and before they even realize it, they are blurting out at all the wrong times. It can be so hard for young learners to manage impulsivity. So, why not spend some time teaching your class about self control?
Check out our done-for-you Self Control Pack, for lessons, centers, songs, charts, and more!
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Calm Your Chatty Class on YouTube
Join Katie, from Team Lucky Little Learners, as she shares more tips, tricks, strategies and ideas to calm the chatty chaos. Subscribe to our channel here for all our best teaching tips and tricks.
If you have an especially out of control class this year, we've got you covered! (Don't feel bad, we've all been there!)
What works for you to keep a talkative class on target? Tell us in the comments below!
You have no idea how much I needed this article. Due to a shortage a was placed back in a classroom and it has been a struggle!! Thank you
Yes, I have a talkative class, but the last 2 years many of my students just make noises. That’s what I need help with, it’s driving me crazy.
My class is so talkative. I applied all the strategies that I learned but still not working.I need help how to let them stop. Thank you for your help!
Reading this article reassures me that I am trying many of the strategies suggested. I know that I need to be consistent in applying my expectations. I am working on a January reset with my class. I am trying to give them lots of time to turn and talk during lessons and some free time to just take a break. I think I will incorporate a “calm and quiet transitions” goal chart in the next few weeks.