Pint
Sized Science: Sounds Around
By Sandy Fleming
Our everyday world is
full of sounds. They help us to communicate and provide information about our surroundings. Some sounds even
warn us of impending danger or help us to know what actions to
take. Explore the world of sounds with these simple and fun activities.
Find the Timer
Here's a great auditory game that nearly any child can enjoy.
Kids need to be able to walk and follow simple instructions.
You'll need a kitchen timer with a loud tick, too. Have the
children close their eyes (or leave the room) and place the
ticking timer where it can be seen (on a shelf, in a basket
or under a desk, etc.). Have the children walk quietly around
the room, following the ticking sound. If they can spot the
timer before it goes off, they're a winner! Set the timer for
longer periods (3-5 minutes) for younger or less experienced
children. One minute is plenty for older, more experienced
players.
As the children use their ears to localize the sound of the
ticking timer, they are exercising some important auditory skills.
Localizing sounds, discrimination, and auditory closure are among
them. In addition, they will need to exercise self-control! This
game requires nearly absolute silence. Excessive giggling, shouting,
or other noises will throw players off the trail and cause them
to miss out on the fun of finding the timer before it rings.
Listen to that Sound
You'll need a tape recorder, blank tape, and various household
sounds to prepare for this delightful game. In advance, record
common household sounds that the children are likely to be
familiar with. Consider sounds such as a car starting, a horn,
telephone ringing, water running, teeth brushing, dishwasher,
vacuum cleaner running, and light-switch click.
Have your group listen to each sound on the tape and guess the
sources of the sounds as you play them back. For an older or
more experienced group, you may wish to challenge small groups
or individuals to make a similar tape for others to use. You
can also record children's voices and have the children try to
guess who is who.
Rattle, Rattle, Shake, Shake
You'll need a set (an even number) of similar jars with sealable
lids, electrical tape, and an assortment of
small items, such as beans, rice, paper clips, and so on. Put a small amount of an item into two
different jars and cover with the tape so that players cannot
see what is inside. You may want to number the jars and make
a key that tells what is in each one. Players take turns shaking
the jars and trying to find the ones that sound exactly the same.
The Whistle Game
You'll need a collection of whistles (or bells if whistles are
too loud and annoying) for this activity. Give
a whistle to one player and have
him or her hide. When everyone is ready, the hiding player will
blow the whistle one short blast. The others try to find the
player by locating the source of the sound. If possible, allow
players to take turns hiding with a whistle.
Because we have two ears
and sounds reach them at slightly different
times, we are able to notice the location of the sound more easily.
It
takes practice to screen out other stimuli and focus on the sound
you are searching for. When the children become accomplished
whistle-finders, try having the one hiding use a different signal,
such as a rhythm instrument, to give clues about his or her whereabouts.
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All of these activities, believe it or not, will help your child
get ready to read. Much of early reading depends on children's
ability to hear sounds, sequence them, localize them, recall
them, and much, much more. Children who have played with sound
will be better equipped to learn phonics skills, will develop
better comprehension skills, and will learn to be better listeners
all the way around. What a fun way to develop pre-academic
skills!
Sandy Fleming
is an educator, author and workshop facilitator. She resides
in southern Michigan with her husband and three daughters.
Sandy leads workshops for daycare providers and parents
in the region, tutors students, volunteers for Girl Scouts
and her church, and teaches online classes for adults and
children. She loves to make new friends, so please drop
her an e-mail at kids@busyparentsonline.com
