This is my third day and already my students are talking without permission. This action usually doesn't occur unit the second or third week of first grade. I have been using my WBT and my class as a whole is buying into it. I have already added the independents to my score sheet. I give them one minute of sitting on the bench at recess for every mark beside their name.
Truthfully, seeing this behavior has me concerned because it is so early. Does anyone have any suggestions for me to limit talking during silent learning time. I allow them to whisper while writing in their journal. Usually giving this freedom stops the talkers.

I have had great success using "talking tickets". When a student talks out of turn, I put a small square "ticket" on their desk. If they receive three in one day, they have to write a letter to their parents (I have a standard one for them to copy) which explains their offense and requires a return signature. Students generally do not want to get 3 talking tickets in a day after one or two letters home and so they refrain from talking. This really works!

Our suggestion is that you use the Scoreboard first, as long as possible, rehearsing the rules as we suggest in "Teaching Challenging Kids" ... Independents is an advanced strategy that we use only after going through all the stages of the practice cards (which can take months) as described in the free download "practice cards" ... Look at the two menus above, "First Steps" and "Levels" for a quick overview of our entire system.

We believe the problem of students talking without permission is the most widespread classroom management problem. The first step is simply to see that students talking satisfies deep human needs to bond, to maintain alliances, to share what is cooking in their brains. So, kids who talk aren't bad ... they're just satisfying fundamental human desires.

We think that it can take quite a long time to help students control their natural talking impulse. Here are the steps.
1. Teach the rules and rehearse them at the start of the day, after each recess, after lunch and right before going home ... make these rehearsals fun by varying your tone of voice and having some of your kids lead the rules.
2. Never answer a question that a student asks, without first reminding her to raise her hand first.
3. When the rules are embedded in every brain, then, when a student is breaking rule 2, say, "Rule 2!" Teach your students to chorus "Raise your hand for permission to speak!" Thus, you are using a violation of the rule to reinforce the rule ... but remember, students should chorus the rule, only when you give the cue ... you will only give the cue as you think appropriate.
4. After several students break the rule, then you can go to the Scoreboard and give everyone a negative mark ... you don't have to point out individuals, just say, "Oh, goodness. Quite a few students are forgetting our very important rule 2!"
5. Bring in a timer, still using the Scoreboard, and see how long the class can go without breaking rule 2 ... each time they set a class record, give everyone a Smilie.
6. Eventually, you are ready for the Practice Cards ... see the download "Practice Cards" for a step by step description of how to use them ... especially as applied to rule 2 ...
7. As needed add Independents and even the Bull's Eye Game and the Agreement Bridge ... but the Practice Cards should take care of 95% of the problem.

Yes, there are lots of steps ... you may not need them all ... but in WBT we love to have "a big back pocket" ... we don't just have a plan B ...we have a plan B to Z!