The Silence Game Part 1
To me the Silence Game means stillness, self control, and intense concentration. It isn’t something that occurs naturally with a group of preschoolers and it certainly isn’t something that can be achieved the first time it is implemented. I remember the first time I observed the Silence Game being implemented by a skilled Montessori Directress…I was in utter awe!
Dr. Montessori created the Silence Game while working with children who were partially deaf. After a great deal of observation, she noticed that their hearing improved when they were given the opportunity to listen carefully for sounds. She began implementing a variety of different activities to do just that, one of which involved her standing at the back of the room with the children facing away from her while she quietly called the name of each child. The children listened so intently and when they heard their name called, they would quietly walk to the back of the room and stand silently by Dr. Montessori.
A similar activity is now implemented in Montessori schools all around the world and it is called ‘The Silence Game’. It is a wonderful activity to help children relax their bodies, become in tune with their environment, lengthen their attention spans and most importantly, to appreciate the beauty of silence.
