Magic Talk

Magic Talk involves writing a statement on the board and having students respond only by writing back. This can be very useful for children who are especially shy and do not enjoy speaking up in class. However, I feel that it should only be used every now and then because otherwise students would take it for granted. I think it should be a "special" activity in the classroom. It would be great to use to introduce topics. The teacher can put a picture up and have the students respond using written words. I also think that magic talk requires students to be more thoughtful before speaking. I know I found myself examining the words on the board and analyzing what I wanted to say. For some reason, words seem to have a sense of permanence when they are written down as opposed to when they are just spoken. It also can help students synthesize their thoughts. I know some students can talk in circles trying to express their ideas, so this could help them make their thoughts more concise. Magic talk is definitely something I plan to use in the classroom one day. I feel that this can even be used during younger grades, even if it was simply word association or drawing.