Swoosh, Splash, Pow: Playing With Words

By Sarah Richardson, Wayzata, MN

Onomatopoeia is a literary device in which a word imitates the natural sound of something, creating a sound effect like splash,
crackle, murmur, or whoosh. We use these words daily in our speech and writing, and learning about onomatopoeia is a staple of
the elementary school language curriculum.

Onomatopoeic words are also inherently musical. They are fun to say and play with, and they inspire creativity because their use is
elastic. New onomatopoeic words and phrases are always ripe for discovery! In an Orff classroom, where words lead to rhythm,
onomatopoeia is a natural fit for exploring both rhythm and musical expression. The following is a series of exercises that can be
used independently or in sequence to explore the musical possibilities of onomatopoeia. The progression presented here is one I
commonly use in my classroom, moving from individual exploration to large group activities to small group work. Also included
in this collection of ways to explore onomatopoeia are suggestions for continuing the learning through literature and writing. You
may find opportunities to collaborate with classroom teachers as you and your students engage in word play.

Onomatopoeia Cards: Create cards using a word (see suggestions below) and an abstract drawing/doodle that somehow reflects
the word. Make twice as many cards as the number of students so there are many options from which to choose. To set up children
for success in the Zip Zap Zop game that comes next in this sequence, include these words as well as all of the sounds intended for
exploration later in a rhythm from Rhythmische Übung (see Rhythm section below).

brrrrr • whisk • thunk • shhhh • klang • clash • pow • neeno neeno • ssssssssss • ppppp • ch-ch-ch
zop • zip • zap • mmmmm • whoosh • crash • brrrring • whee • deedle-deedle • wham
zing • ding-dong • kazam • crack • zow • t-t-t-t • whiz • bang• pop • hush • zzzzzz • boom • plop

• Students come into the room and take a card (see picture for samples).
• Invite them to find as many different ways to say the word on the card as they can. They are working individually.
• After they have explored the word vocally, ask them to find a way of moving that somehow reflects the sound on the card.
The picture on the card can be used for inspiration.
• Practice silently and while saying the word.
• Invite them to trade cards with someone else at least once.
• Eventually, suggest a meter and ask students to repeat their sound, making a predictable pattern that fits within that meter.

Zip Zap Zop: Zip Zap Zop is a game common to the drama classroom. It encourages focus, community building, expressiveness
and precision. In the context of the music room it can have many applications, including reinforcing meter. It is used here to
encourage creative use of language as a sound effect.

Reverberations, April 2016

Copyright © 2016 by AOSA
Members have permission to copy for
educational purposes only.

 • Participants stand in a circle.
• One person begins, using their whole body to point at another and make eye contact while they say, “Zip”. The receiver
then passes “Zap” on to another, who responds with “Zop”, and points to another in the circle, who responds with, “Zip”,
etc.
• This in not an elimination game. Students are encouraged to help each other to keep the rhythm going. If someone isn't
sure whose turn it is, another student can jump in to keep it going.
• To make this more difficult, add, “Bim, bam, boom.” Students may switch between “Zip, zap, zop” and “Bim, bam,
boom” at will, but may not mix the two.
• Play “super hero” zip zap zop. Send a “super hero move” across the circle with the “zip.” After a few rounds, transition to
“silent super hero zip zap zop” using huge gestures, but no sound. Remind students that they cannot actually touch
another student!
• Next, invite students to accompany the “moves” with descriptive, comic-book style sound that illustrates the “super hero
move.” Now they are creating their own onomatopoeic words.

Rhythm: Introduce a rhythm on the board, written entirely in sounds. The following example comes from #76 from Rhythmische
Übung by Gunild Keetman (1970; Schott Musik International). Copyright protections prevent displaying the rhythmic score...open
your copy of Rhythmische Übung to see how the sounds below follow the rhythmic pattern created by Keetman.

Ch ch ch ch, whoosh pow, ch ch ch ch, whoosh pow

deedle deedle deedle deedle, t t t t, zip zap, zow

• Before teaching the speech/sound rhythm, invite students to suggest their favorite invented sounds from the previous
exercises. Where possible, replace some of the teacher’s sounds with student's suggestions. Then teach through echo
imitation.
• Invite students to suggest movements that are inspired by the sounds. Create a group sound/movement sequence based on
student input. Discuss, as a class, why certain movements seem to work better than others in the sequence.
• Practice in unison and in canon.

Icons: Pass out icon cards. See examples below. Sets of icons, created for computer use, are readily available on the internet.

• Invite students to create a sound and a movement for each image, and eventually decide on two images (with
sound/movement) that they like. They should “set” their sound and movement.
• Find a partner, and share icon sounds and movements.
• Working as partners, create a 4-part movement/sound sequence using only 2 or 3 of the cards.
• Share with the class by making a rondo form using the rhythm/movement pieces.
• Extension: Invent a superhero who would make the sounds implied by the icon cards. Draw a picture and write a story
about how you and your partner’s superheroes would work together. How are the sounds related to their superpowers?

Reverberations, April 2016

Copyright © 2016 by AOSA
Members have permission to copy for
educational purposes only.

Onomatopoeia in Regular Words

• Teacher plays a sound on an unpitched percussion instrument and asks what words the noise sounds like. The meaning of
the word doesn’t have to have anything to do with it. For example, a woodblock might sound like the word clock. A
maraca might sound like tickle. This is tricky, and may take the students a while to get into the idea. Be ready to give
examples, and play a single instrument many times to get a range of words. After some practice with this, have students
write a list of words that make the noise of each instrument.
• When they have mastered this concept, give a piece of unpitched percussion to everyone in the circle.
• One person plays their instrument and sends it (similar to the “Zip-Zap-Zop” game) to someone else in the circle that says
a word the noise sounds like.
• Then the person who received the sound sends their instrument sound to someone else in the circle, who makes up a new
word-sound, etc.
• Keep going until everyone has gone multiple times. Try not to repeat a word/sound.

Onomatopoeia in Poetry: Read the following poems and ask the students what they notice about the poems. What similarities do
they have? What makes them interesting?

• Cynthia in the Snow by Gwendolyn Brooks

• Night Songs by Lynn Joseph
• Old Deep Sing-Song by Carl Sandburg
• Song of Myself (#26) by Walt Whitman

Writing Poetry:

• Sit in silence in the classroom. (Or outside! This is fun to do in different seasons.)
• Listen for one minute to the sounds that are around you. Don’t try to identify them, just hear them.
• Continue to sit in silence, but now write what you hear. Again, you do not have to assign meaning or context. You can
write a description of the sound, or use onomatopoeia, or use rhyming words. Write at least 10 different sound
descriptions – words or phrases. Encourage the use of onomatopoeia.
• Try again - write 10 more sounds!
• Share writings. Make a collaborative poem.

Reverberations, April 2016

Copyright © 2016 by AOSA
Members have permission to copy for
educational purposes only.