Words Have Power

I am RESPONSIBLE to think before I speak.

Our leadership students are learning that words and thoughts are things…powerful things. 

In the human brain, they are literally chemical and electrical impulses, which are received, sorted, or selected as they fire through neural pathways at very high speeds. Words and ideas are stored and clustered in very specific regions of the brain. The cortex is the outer layer of the brain and is responsible for most high-order thinking. Words are sorted in our brains by associated mechanisms like: similar spellings or meanings, social references, emotional domains, language of origin, etc. As the brain becomes filled up with language and life experience, it is able to babble and chatter independently, subconsciously influencing how and what we feel. We develop the power to command, select, and orchestrate our desired words at the speed of thought. 

Learning to think before we speak is a valuable skill. It’s an especially  challenging one for elementary children because of inherent developmental ability and related mental and emotional impulsivity. But, children can responsibly learn, practice, and grow into the process as they mature.

What can we do to teach and help our children to think before they speak?

• Select and read a children’s book together about the power of words, and talk about it.(See: Children’s Books that teach the power of our words.pdf)  OR Share some personal experiences when words were given thoughtfully, thoughtlessly, or in haste.

• How did words affect the main character and others in the story? 

• How could the story have been different if the main character, or others in the story remembered to “think, before they spoke”? 

• Display, teach, and talk about the questions that go with the letters in the acronym T.H.I.N.K.  T- Is it ture? H – Is it helpful? I – Is it inspiring? N- Is it necessary? K- Is it kind?

• Invite the children to share some of their experiences, thoughts, and feelings.

• Practice listening carefully, and pausing before responding appropriately.

• Focus on ‘thinking before we speak’…and recognize individual efforts and moments when True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind words are used during the week.

We’re growing beautiful people who can be thoughtful T.H.I.N.K.ers and leaders!

You G.O.A.T. THIS!

Additional Resources:

• Song: Words Have Power.mp3 
  • Lyrics for Words Have Power.pdf 
• Link: Teaching Kids to Think before They Speak 
• Link: THINK Before You Speak Lesson