Every year, and more than once a year, we facilitate discussions at school to help children understand the power of the words they use. Last week we asked children to consider the following quote. This discussion involved the entire school and had children in all grades participating.

Words are alive. They shoot out like boomerangs and turn back to lift us up or flatten us with a powerful thud.

One by one the children raised their hands and shared their thoughts about what this quote meant. This half hour discussion was even richer than the following quotes because there were comments that we didn’t get to record. Our goal is to help children learn to think before they speak and to make sure the words they use are respectful and taking care of themselves and others.

Lola shared, “Lift us up” is something nice you said. “Powerful thud is something mean you said.” Chloe shared: “Words are powerful. If you say something mean it takes a long time to go away.” Etienne said, “Words are more hurtful than fighting. Fighting doesn’t change anything.” Maia said, “Words can help you.” Ben said, “Things you say can have a bad effect.” Frannie said, “The word shoot means when you are thinking something bad it is hard to hold it in. It shoots out.” Eisen said, “If you say something bad it will flatten you.” Jake said, “Someone will be mean back to you if you are mean to them.” Josh suggested, “I’d like wars with words or no wars at all. “ Neona thought it was like Karma, “What goes around comes around. That’s what is meant by flattening.” Moebius thought “alive meant that words have feelings in them.” Evan thought that “words are born when they come out of your mouth. And they die when you stop saying them.” Misha thinks that words are “like an echo.”