No Talking

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-5

Reading Check

1. What topic is Dave Packer expected to give a report on before his coughing fit?

2. Who is Dave’s partner for his report?

3. What is a classmate talking about at lunchtime when Dave confronts her about her constant talking?

4. What does Dave do in reaction to shaking Lynsey’s hand?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe Dave and Lynsey’s relationship.

2. What does Dave find inspiring about Mahatma Gandhi? How does it motivate his actions?

3. What is the comparison Dave makes between boys and girls? What is the effect of this comparison?

Paired Resources

“Mahatma Gandhi”

• This article explores the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
• This biography of Gandhi offers opportunities to connect to the novel’s themes of The Value of Silence, Standing Up to Authority, and Finding Common Ground With an Enemy.
• What did Gandhi do for the people of India? What strategies were used by Gandhi to protest British rule? Why is Dave inspired by Gandhi?

“How Gandhi Used Silence as a Weapon to Ensure Peace”

• This article explores Gandhi’s use of silence as a tool of activism.
• Connected themes include The Value of Silence, Standing Up to Authority, and Finding Common Ground With an Enemy.
• What is unique about Gandhi’s approach to civil rights? What did Gandhi derive from his day of silence each week? How does Dave feel about his time in silence?

Chapters 6-10

Reading Check

1. What is the nickname for the fifth-grade class?

2. Which group is the first to gain a tally for talking?

3. Which teacher decides to take advantage of the silence by conducting an experiment about it?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Dave convince his male classmates to participate in the contest?

2. How do the fifth graders earn their nickname and why is their silence surprising to the authority figures in the school?

3. What is the initial reaction of the teachers to the students’ vow of silence?

Paired Resource

“The Value of Silence in Schools”

• This article explores the benefits of silence and reflection from an educational perspective.
• A connected theme is The Value of Silence.
• How might students benefit from silence in schools? What are the benefits the teachers and students derive from the silence?

Chapters 11-14

Reading Check

1. Who becomes angry with the students because of their silence vow?

2. Which teacher believes the students are protesting?

3. What does Mr. Burton decide to use the contest for in his own life?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Mrs. Marlow determine the students are keeping a secret? What event helps her to realize what the students are doing?

2. How do the teachers, other than Mrs. Marlow, adapt to the students’ vow of silence?

3. What effect does the silence contest have on the thinking of the students?

4. How does the contest seem to impact the relationship between Dave and Lynsey by the end of the first day of competition?

Paired Resource

“A Brief History of Silent Protests”

• This article describes what a silent protest is and how they are conducted. (Content Warning: The article mentions violence, including military violence against unarmed protestors.)
• Information in the article promotes an opportunity to discuss The Value of Silence and Standing Up to Authority.
• What is the purpose of a silent protest? Why might Mrs. Akers believe the students are conducting a silent protest?

Chapters 15-20

Reading Check

1. How does Mrs. Hiatt plan to address the students about the contest?

2. Who yells at Mrs. Hiatt in the lunchroom?

3. When Mrs. Hiatt introduces the three-word rule to the school, who is the new competition between?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What are the benefits and problems created for teachers as a result of the students’ contest?

2. What biases arise among the staff because of the contest? How does it compare to the biases among the students?

3. How do teachers respond when students continue to provide three-word responses after being instructed by Mrs. Hiatt to return to talking normally?

4. By the end of the story, how does the contest impact relationships in the school?

Recommended Next Reads

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies

• This novel is about two siblings who compete to have the most successful lemonade stand.
• Shared themes include Finding Common Ground With an Enemy. 
• Shared topics include competitions, improving relationships, and cooperation.
• The Lemonade War on SuperSummary

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

• This novel is about a group of students who have been isolated by their school district and dubbed “the Unteachables” due to their varying abilities and behaviors.
• Shared themes include Standing Up to Authority and Finding Common Ground With an Enemy.
• Shared topics include friendship, problem-solving, and cooperation.
• The Unteachables on SuperSummary