5 Free Online Noise Meters for the Classroom

Classroom noise can be a sign of an active, engaged classroom! But how much noise is too much? There isn’t a single answer to that question, as every lesson and classroom are different. However, evidence suggests that when there’s too much classroom noise, students achieve lower test scores and have a harder time with tasks that involve recognizing letters, words, and numbers. A big part of classroom management can be helping students monitor their energy levels and stay quiet when needed.

Classroom noise monitor

One way to gauge your class energy level is by using a sound level meter for the classroom. A sound level meter, or noise monitor, can help you measure whether your students are getting too noisy to be engaging in the task at hand. Try out a free online noise meter for the classroom, and get your students involved in monitoring their noise level, especially during activities that require being quiet.

1. Bouncy Balls: This online tool gives your students a fun visual experience with their noise level. Watch the colorful bouncing balls grow as the level rises.
2. Classroom Screen Noise Monitor: Choose a special bell and run your classroom noise monitor during the school day. When your students can be heard above a certain level the bell will chime—alerting them that it’s time to settle down!
3. Zero Classroom Noise: For a basic class volume monitor, try this one that functions as a stopwatch. At the end of class, students can see the amount of time they were outside of the optimal noise level. Note that this tool requires ChromeOS, the operating system found on Chromebooks.

Classroom volume meter

A classroom volume meter is just another word for noise monitor, but both of these free classroom resources show your noise level on a simply designed meter. If you are looking for something simple to help your students visualize sound, one of these meters may be your best option.

1. Calm Counter: Calm Counter is an effective and simple option. It’s a classroom volume monitor that color codes students’ volume. Set your microphone’s sensitivity, and then students can see when they are “in the red” by hitting the top of the meter.
2. MIT’s Scratch Noise’O’Meter: Scratch is a visual programming language created at MIT to help children learn to program. This “Noise’O’Meter,” along with its dozens of remixed variants, are free tools to gauge just how loud your students are and show them when they reach a level that’s too high for the classroom. Plus, you can encourage your students to make their own remix and code a new noise meter just for your classroom.

While many teachers are interested in trying to quiet a noisy classroom, it is important to remember that not every moment in the classroom is supposed to be quiet. Students and teachers come to the classroom with their own expectations around noise, and some activities are at their best when students can talk freely. However, students must remain mindful of when it’s important to lower their voices.

Dealing with classroom noise

One tip to keep in mind as you try these noise monitors out: let your students test them at first. Not only will kids love an opportunity to get loud (briefly!), but you may be able to connect it to grade-level content, such as a math lesson on comparison or decibels.

In addition to the noise meters listed in this article, you can also try the tips below for dealing with classroom noise, which are adapted from some of the tips offered by the National Education Association:

• Teach your students that when you clap one rhythm, they should respond by clapping a different rhythm. For example, if you clap slowly four times, they respond with five fast claps.
• Decide on a spoken (instead of clapped) call and response to get the students’ attention. For example, if you say “Marco,” they reply with “Polo.” Or you start by saying “repeat after me,” and then the class repeats whatever you say next.
• Stop class temporarily and have students (quietly) report what they hear. Have them listen for sounds like neighboring classrooms, nature, or common school occurrences like footsteps in the hallway or someone typing on a keyboard.
• Use visual or audio cues, for example holding up a sign or playing a chime, signaling to the class that it’s time to stop talking and pay attention.

If you are looking for a way to make classroom noise management a little more fun, try out a noise monitor to get your students involved in understanding how their volume can impact the classroom dynamics.

This article was adapted from a blog post initially developed by the education technology company Classcraft, which was acquired by HMH in 2023. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.

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HMH Classcraft supports engaging, in-person K–8 instruction with point-of-use classroom management tools like a noise monitor. Coming in 2025!