Classroom Voice Level Chart

How to Make a Voice Level Chart

A voice level chart is a poster that names each volume your class may use, such as silent, whisper, partner voice and presenter voice, and says in one line what each volume sounds like. At Chalkbox, we build free classroom tools that run in the browser, and this voice level chart needs no account, no install and no microphone.

Build your chart in the editor above:

1. Pick a preset. The "Start from" menu offers "Five levels (0 to 4)", which loads by default, or "Four levels". The five-level chart runs from Level 0: Silent to Level 4: Outside voice. The four-level chart lists Silent, Whisper, Partner voice and Presenter voice.
2. Name the poster. Type a heading in the "Poster title" box. The default heading reads "Our Voice Levels".
3. Edit each level. Every level has a name and a one-line description that you can rewrite in your own classroom language.
4. Set the colors. Each level has its own color picker, so the chart can use the same colors as other signs in your room.
5. Print or project. "Print / Save PDF" prints only the poster, in color, or saves it as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file. "Fullscreen" fills a projector or screen with the chart.
6. Click the level in use. The level you click gets a "Right now" badge, and the other levels dim. Click the same level again, or press "Clear highlight", to remove the badge.

Start with the five-level chart if you want numbers students can show on their fingers as a quick signal. Switch to "Four levels" if your room has no use for an outside voice, since the default wording reserves Level 4 for the playground or assembly.

Writing Voice Level Descriptions Students Understand

A good voice level description is one short line that tells students who should be able to hear them. The five-level preset starts with this wording, which you can keep or rewrite:

• Level 0: Silent. "No talking. Think and work alone."
• Level 1: Whisper. "Only the person next to you can hear."
• Level 2: Partner voice. "Quiet talk with your partner or table."
• Level 3: Presenter voice. "Speak so the whole room can hear."
• Level 4: Outside voice. "Playground or assembly only."

Vague vs Concrete Wording

A vague description names a feeling or a rule without saying who can hear the speaker. A concrete description gives students a test they can run on themselves. Compare these pairs before you type your own lines:

Every line in the right column answers one question a student can check mid-sentence: can the person beside me hear me, or can the whole room hear me?

Wording by Age Group

The same five levels can carry different words for different grades. Keep every description to one line so the chart stays readable from across the room.

• Kindergarten to grade 2: Use short, physical lines such as "Lips closed, voice off", "Tiny voice, one friend hears" and "Big voice for the whole room". Give each level a bright color students can name out loud.
• Grades 3 to 5: Keep the default five-level wording. The level numbers give students a short way to talk about volume, such as "we're at a level 2".
• Middle school: Rename the levels to match the words you already say in class, such as "Heads down" for Silent or "Discussion voice" for Presenter voice. Older students can also help write the descriptions as a first-week activity.

Matching Classroom Voice Levels to the Activity

Each activity in your day can have one voice level, and the table below gives starting suggestions you can change to fit your rules. Use the column that matches the preset you picked.

If a group project gets too loud at partner voice, rewrite the Level 2 description to "Only your group can hear" and keep the same level number. If your hallway rules allow whispering, move lining up to Level 1. Write the level for each routine into your classroom rules as well, so students see the same expectation in two places.

Teaching the Voice Levels

Teach the voice levels the way you teach any routine: model each level, let students practice it, and give them one cue that resets the room. These steps fit into the first week of school or the first day back after a break.

1. Model each level. Say one sentence, such as "Please pass the glue stick", at every level on the chart while you point to that level.
2. Practice with a partner. Students repeat the sentence at each level while you click that level on the projected chart, so the "Right now" badge follows the practice.
3. Use the wrong level on purpose. Speak in a presenter voice during partner time and ask students which level the activity called for.
4. Pick a reset cue. Hold up fingers for the level number, or point to the level on the chart, and wait for the room to match it.
5. Name what students did well. A line like "Table three is right at a level 2" tells the whole class what the target sounds like.

Reuse the same practice sentence each time you reteach, so students compare one level against another with the same words. The guide to classroom management strategies covers more routines you can teach alongside the voice levels.

Projecting the Chart or Printing a Voice Level Poster

Project the voice level chart when the level changes during a lesson, and print a voice level poster for spots where the level stays the same.

In Fullscreen, the "Right now" badge shows the whole class which level the current activity uses, and the other levels dim. Click a new level at each transition so the badge matches what students are doing. When an activity ends and no level applies, press "Clear highlight".

"Print / Save PDF" prints only the poster, in color, without the editing controls or the "Right now" badge. Because the badge never prints, a paper copy shows every level with none highlighted. Hang one copy by the door for lining up, and add another to the wall beside your anchor charts.

The page does not save your chart, so save a PDF copy as soon as you finish editing. To change the chart later, open the voice level chart again and retype your wording from the PDF.

Pairing the Chart with the Noise Meter and Timer

The voice level chart sets the expectation, and the Chalkbox noise meter shows how loud the room is during the activity. The noise meter listens through your device's microphone and shows a relative level from 0 to 100 as green, yellow or red. The noise meter does not show decibels.

For partner work, highlight Level 2 on the projected chart and open the noise meter beside it. Set the classroom timer for the length of the task. Students then see the target level and a live color for the room.

Use the voice level chart on its own if you prefer not to use a microphone in class. Add the noise meter once students know the levels and you want a visible reading during work time. For more classroom expectations, see the classroom rules poster.

What the Voice Level Chart Does Not Do

The Chalkbox Voice Level Chart is a poster maker, so the chart cannot hear your room or remember your edits. Plan around these limits before you rely on the chart:

• No microphone or loudness detection. The voice level chart never listens to the room. Open the noise meter for a live reading.
• No decibel readings. Neither the voice level chart nor the noise meter shows decibels. The noise meter shows a relative 0 to 100 level as green, yellow or red.
• No saved charts. Nothing is sent to a server, and the page does not keep your edits after you leave. Save a PDF before you close the tab.
• No image downloads. Printing or Save as PDF is the way to keep the poster.
• No student names. The chart lists voice levels only. Keep any notes about individual students on your own seating chart or roster.

If you came looking for a measurement of how loud your class gets, the voice level chart will not give you one. Open the noise meter for that job, and use this chart to show students the level you expect.

Pick a preset in the voice level chart above, rewrite one line per level for your grade, and print the poster or project it before your next class.