Saying without Speaking 7

Dumb Charades

Let us play a game. In this game, everyone has to let others

know what they want to tell without speaking. Divide yourselves
into groups of seven.
Your teacher will give each group a piece of paper with a
situation written on it.

Each group will read what is written on the paper and prepare
a silent act. Keep in mind that you cannot speak. You can express
through your face and body actions.

When all the groups are ready with their act, they have to
perform one by one in front of the other groups. The others will
have to guess what is being acted out.

How did you like this game?

Did you find it difficult to act without speaking ?

Look at the picture given on the next page. The children in

the picture are talking to each other through actions.

❉ Have you ever seen anyone talking through actions?

❉ When do people need to talk like this?

Choose situations which children can understand and relate to, so

that they can perform better in such acts or games.

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 Most of us can hear and speak, but there are some people
who can neither hear nor speak. These people talk through
actions. They understand what the other person is saying by
studying their lip-movements.
All of us cannot do everything. Some of us sing well, others
write good poetry. Some can climb trees quickly while others
can run fast. Some can draw well, others can sing in tune. We
are all special in our own ways. Hence, in schools we can learn
from each other. Like all children, children who cannot speak
and hear also go to school to read and write. In schools, sign
language is taught to them.
Let us read about a child who cannot hear, yet, who can do
many things.

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 I have a sister, My sister cannot hear
I have a sister our mother still helps her
My sister is deaf. lip-read at home.
She is special. The teacher and children do
There are not many sisters not understand every word
like mine.
she says, like sister
My sister can play the piano. or water or thumb.
She likes to feel the
I wore my sunglasses
deep rumbling chords.
yesterday.
But she will never be
able to sing. The frames were very large.
She cannot hear the tune. The lenses are very black.
She likes to leap, to tumble,
My sister made me take
to roll, to climb to the top of
them off when I spoke.
the monkey bars.
Now my sister has started What do my brown eyes say
going to my school, although to her brown eyes?

JEANNE WHITEHOUSE PETERSON

(Extract from the poem : I have a sister
My sister is deaf )

Through this story it can be

discussed that we have
different abilities. By
incorporating the children’s
own experiences, sensitivity
towards this issue can be
enhanced.

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Our eyes tell a lot small children tell a lot through their face and
hands even before they learn to speak. They understand a lot too.

The face
is a
mirror

Observe children of about six to eight months in your

area. How do they express themselves?

You must be wondering what kind of faces these are –

they have no eyes, no nose, no mouth. You have to make
these, but only after reading what is written alongside.

This is Aftaab. His

favourite toy has fallen
down and broken. He is
sad. How will his face
look?

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 This is Julie. Her little sister
was born just yesterday. She
is very excited. How will her
face look ?

This is Yamini’s mother.

Today, while Yamini was
taking out the bottle of
pickle from the kitchen it
fell from her hand and
broke. Draw the look on
her mother’s face.

This is Rehana. She is afraid

of dogs. While playing,
suddenly a dog came in front
of her. How will Rehana’s
face look ?

Encourage children to express

their feelings through various
ways. This will develop their
creative expression abilities.

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By looking at someone’s face we can tell if the person is happy,
sad or angry.
Has it ever happened that you had done some mischief and
your mother found out just by looking at your face?
We can talk through dance as well. In dance the hands and
face are used to convey feelings. These are called mudras and
bhavs.

Look at and do these mudras. Learn some more dance

mudras and do them.

1 2

3 4

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Look at these pictures and guess. Make your own story. Tell the
story to your friends and discuss.

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