The Silence Game
Section 3
Lesson 13
3a) What is the benefit to the child of the ‘Silence game’? (500 words)
Constant noise can create irritability, frustration, confusion, and even sleepiness. Everyone needs moments of peace to rest our bodies and to listen to our thoughts. Dr. Montessori says that a deeper level of awareness and sensitivity to noise can help is to enter into a “more refined and subtle world”. Montessori therefore came up with the “Silence Game” or “The Exercise of Silence”.
Dr. Montessori created the Silence Game while working with children who were partially deaf. She observed that their hearing improved when they were able to listen carefully for sounds. Standing at the back of the room with the children facing away from her, Dr. Montessori quietly called out the name of each child. When the children heard her call their name, they would quietly walk to where she stood.
Silence has become one of the best known characteristics of the Montessori Method. It has been adopted in many schools and has succeeded in bringing to them something of the Montessori spirit. (Montessori, 1988).
After the Silence Game children become more obedient, sweet, and gentle. Dr Montessori also realized that after such an exercise the soul of the child has its spiritual rewards.
In the Montessori Classroom, the Silence Game is played to help children develop not only a higher level of self-discipline, but to acclimatize children to the world around them. Many adults and children take for granted the sounds around them. And in our fast paced world, few of us stop to “smell the roses” let alone take the time to quietly listen and reflect. The Silence Game takes practice. Young children and those who are not yet normalized have relatively short attention spans and find it ever so difficult to remain still and quiet for more than 20-30 seconds. With practice, attention spans lengthen and children learn to relax, absorb, and appreciate the world around them.
During the Silence
Lesson 13
3a) What is the benefit to the child of the ‘Silence game’? (500 words)
Constant noise can create irritability, frustration, confusion, and even sleepiness. Everyone needs moments of peace to rest our bodies and to listen to our thoughts. Dr. Montessori says that a deeper level of awareness and sensitivity to noise can help is to enter into a “more refined and subtle world”. Montessori therefore came up with the “Silence Game” or “The Exercise of Silence”.
Dr. Montessori created the Silence Game while working with children who were partially deaf. She observed that their hearing improved when they were able to listen carefully for sounds. Standing at the back of the room with the children facing away from her, Dr. Montessori quietly called out the name of each child. When the children heard her call their name, they would quietly walk to where she stood.
Silence has become one of the best known characteristics of the Montessori Method. It has been adopted in many schools and has succeeded in bringing to them something of the Montessori spirit. (Montessori, 1988).
After the Silence Game children become more obedient, sweet, and gentle. Dr Montessori also realized that after such an exercise the soul of the child has its spiritual rewards.
In the Montessori Classroom, the Silence Game is played to help children develop not only a higher level of self-discipline, but to acclimatize children to the world around them. Many adults and children take for granted the sounds around them. And in our fast paced world, few of us stop to “smell the roses” let alone take the time to quietly listen and reflect. The Silence Game takes practice. Young children and those who are not yet normalized have relatively short attention spans and find it ever so difficult to remain still and quiet for more than 20-30 seconds. With practice, attention spans lengthen and children learn to relax, absorb, and appreciate the world around them.
During the Silence