Exploring the concept of “quiet” in the Wonder Primes

Spring in the Wonder Primes classroom is a rich time of growth in many ways.  The children have settled into their school routines and are confident in their knowledge of their days. Interpersonal relationships have solidified and deepened, and new skills are being refined.  This is the time of year where the teachers of the Wonder Primes are still as present as ever, but are able to take a slight step back to allow for more independent peer interactions and opportunities to practice the skills they have been learning since the fall.  This has also allowed the Wonder Primes teachers opportunities to reflect on their work with Dr. Peggy Martalock, chair of Greenfield Community College’s Education Department, where we have spent time looking at our work as educators in the larger context of the world and thinking about the “why” of what we do.  

During one of our recent gatherings with Peggy and the Primes teachers, we explored the concept of the “quiet child,” including what that meant to us as adults and educators, and what this could mean to young children, both in relation to themselves as well as to their peers. We looked at the concept of “quiet,” its connotations, and its many definitions and meanings.  The Wonder Primes teachers came away from this discussion thinking deeply about language concepts and how much the youngest children truly understand the words so frequently woven into the fabric of their days.  We wondered if the children truly understood what “quiet” meant.  We thought about common phrases said throughout the day, including “We need to be more quiet,” “this is a time to have a quiet body,” and “that is too loud for inside.” We wondered - did our students truly understand what we meant when we asked them to be “quiet”? Did all of the children have the same level of understanding of these concepts? Did they understand how loud and quiet sounds could have an impact on themselves and others? How could we determine this and investigate this further?  

We decided to start gathering information from the children by asking simple questions during a morning meeting.  We asked the children “what is quiet?” and noticed that several children immediately began making soft noises with their mouths. After a few moments, another child made a stronger sound and the children were asked, “what is that?” The children resoundingly answered “loud!” and one child replied, “too loud!” This led to a discussion of why we might think a sound is too loud and body language we see from others that can help us understand when it is, including moving away and covering ears with our hands.  

Next, the children were offered instruments to experiment with.  The hope was that this activity would help the children hear and feel in their bodies sounds that were “louder” and “quieter” in a way that was accessible and fun. The children were first offered shakers, and we discovered that playing these instruments in different ways could make them sound both loud and quiet.  The children were then offered bells and drums and spent time playing them loudly (faster and harder) and more quietly (slower and softer).  The children were then asked which instrument they thought was louder -  some identified the bells, others identified the shakers, and this reminded our grown up brains of the unique preferences of each child despite what we may have anticipated to be true. 

As we closed our morning meeting, the children were asked to name which sound they liked more, quiet or loud.  We asked this question to intentionally link our fun musical activity to the larger, more abstract language concepts, as well as to allow the children to begin identifying their own preferences, so that they can one day think about what someone else might like or dislike. Many of the children indicated that they enjoyed the “loud” sounds, but several children stated they preferred “quiet.”  A few of these answers surprised us, as some children who we would not expect to prefer “quiet” indicated that they did, and some who we anticipated to choose “quiet” indicated they enjoyed being “loud.” We felt thankful for this information and saw that the learning for both children and teachers continued beyond morning meeting, as we related how we can be “quiet” and “loud” during different parts of our day, including during snack/lunch, outside play, and at rest time. As teachers, we were so impressed with the children’s ability to think about and develop a new understanding of these big ideas and we wonder where this will lead us next!