A teacher-made Noise-O-Meter can help students monitor their voice levels
I’ve been working in K-2 classrooms recently and one pattern I noticed was the noise level when the whole class was working at stations… in every classroom I’ve worked in! It is still a bit noisy at times, as children are learning to monitor their voices. They still need our help in doing this. As soon as it gets too loud, we stop the children by using a chime or by clapping a pattern (which the kids repeat). Don’t yell to get their attention. Be careful what you are modeling. Then we ask the students why we stopped. EVERY time they say, “It was too loud in here.” They know it’s loud, but they don’t know how to get their voice levels down.
My favorite tool to use to help kids be on “noise alert” is a music wand from www.treeblocks.com. I have used these in every video we’ve made. Simply ding the wand and it’s an instant noise alert. With practice, children will learn to control their voices. But it does take practice… and support from us, their teachers. Another option is to use a tambourine, a bell, or a chime to get students’ attention.
Another thing you might try is a teacher-made “noise-o-meter.” This can be a visual reminder of our expectations for the class.
When using math stations, it’s really important to use a “math mat” or a soft mat to keep things quieter. Working with manipulatives can easily escalate the noise factor. I like to use soft, foam shelf liner cut in large rectangles as math mats. Or solid plastic placemats work really well too. Or even a rectangle of fun foam. You just need something to soften the sound of dice, blocks, etc.
You might use a tambourine to get students’ attention quickly
Another option is to gently ring a bell, like this 4th-grade teacher is doing
Debbie Diller 
Hey Deb, I soooooo miss you! Hope things are going ok with the family, and the wedding!
Thanks for this! I only began teaching last November and noise control was one of my biggest issues! I’m excited for these ideas and to start up at the beginning of the year, instead of the middle.
Hi Debbie! Hope your summer is going well! When I was teaching third grade I used to silently say the word “salami” and then the whole class would spell it back: “s-a-l-a-m-i salami.” At that point all eyes would be on the teacher. The kids also just spelled and repeated the word, not screaming it. I learned that trick from a great cooperating teacher in New Jersey. She called it “stop and look at me immediately.” The kids loved it, and it added a bit of fun to the classroom too. –Ken Kunz
Great ideas. I have used rectangles of felt to quiet my math manipulatives (dice get especially loud, don’t they). We call them quiet mats and they are great for sorting too. Cheap, colorful and washable should it become necessary!