What starts as an insult grows into a contest and takes on a life of its own: The no-talking battle at Laketon Elementary changes how both children and teachers think about the learning process for the better.

When Dave and Lynsey square off angrily to see which gender talks less, they have little idea of what they’ve started. As soon as the contest gets under way, they find they’ve taken on almost more than they can handle. Quickly, all the kids find clever ways to make their three-word rule work well enough to communicate effectively without talking too much. They learn that they’re more inventive than they thought, and the limitations cause them to be more intentional and specific in their communication. The fifth graders invent a whole new way to communicate and think about their class work that improves student engagement and simplifies learning. Though they didn’t intend this, the students discover the value of brevity, and it alters their thinking about how to learn and how to study together.

The Teachers also find that the talking limit makes their students more involved in their class work. Some of the instructors feel enthusiastic about the change, but others fear that this experiment threatens their authority and might lead to chaos, even as the contest creates the quiet classroom

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