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    Blog 1 Atterbury and Richardson 2001 Instruments

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 5
    | Ugly Leichrantinte fom psa Pryde bye Ooruny oath fedbortson. ‘USING INSTRUMENTS WITH YOUNGER CHILDREN CATEGORIZING AND CLASSIFYING SOUNDS: MATERIAL Young children nced repeated opportunities to explore the variety of sounds that can be produced by different materials, Classroom explorations should begin with the, sound ‘made by a single material, uch as two pieces of wood hit together. The wood may be ac- tual instruments, such as wood sticks or claves, or it may be wo pieces of sorap lumber from a woodshop or home workshop. Then these first sounds should be contrasted with @ very different one, such as that made by two pieces of metal, Again, actual instruments, such as a triangle or finger cymbals, can be used, as well as wo long bolts, metal tools, or pieces of serap metal. The focus needs to be on contrasting sounds and why they are dif: ferent, rather than the actual names of instruments. ‘Afler this type of introduction, you may wish to use two other contrasting sounds from two other materials, such as plastic or cardboard. Then the sounds produced thus far osn be discussed by the children, andthe effect of materials upon sound can be discovered, Such initial experiences may be used as an introduction to classifying and categori2- ing sounds. One way to begin is to collect a large number of sound sources ina cardboard box and assign partners or small groups to discover the “sounds” inthe box. Or you may just leave it in your classroom and wait for the children to investigate the objects and the purposes for which they can be used. Your box can include actual instruments, but such @ collection does not depend upon having a Tot of extra money for classroom instruments. 1¢ is fairly easy to produce a box of interesting and contrasting sound sources from homme ‘workshops, kitchens, storage closets, and drawers. PRODUCTION After young students have learned to differentiate sounds according tothe actual material that the source is made of, & second importent way to vary sounds shouldbe introduced. How a particular instrument or object i played affects the sound. A pair of rhythm sticks, ‘one of which ig notched, ean provide the introduction by contesting the sound made when the sticks are struck with that produced when they are rubbed back and forth. If you don't have a set of such sticks, any object that can produce vo different sounds when hit ‘and rubbed wil illustrate the same ides, Following this introduction, a demonstration for your class of how single objects or {instruments can produce varied sounds through scratching, hitting, or shaking should be adequate to return eager leamers to the “sound box” for continued investigations. Agsin, {you will want to structure the investigations so that once initial discoveries are made, the children move to careful listening and determining which sounds are similar and which are dissimilar Of course, you do not have to be the sole provider of sound sources. Your students and parent volunteers can be asked to contribute to the box from their homes, just as you request them to bring materials for other curieulum projects. You should not overlook your comm er. in your quest for unusual sound sources. Merchants often have. interesting and unusual packing materials that they are glad to recycle for an educational cause. ‘THE PLACE OF IMAGINATION ‘While itis important for young children to lear that particular sounds depend upon the rateral ofthe instrument or object and the manner in which the sound is produced, it aso meaningful for young leamers to become involved in using the sounds in inagin tive and unusual ways. Whether it be a poem about falling leaves that could be reread with accompanying sounds, a Halloween story or song that would be improved by ghostly, cat, or monster sounds, or a whole-lenguage story writen by the class about the first snowfall with added sof background sounds, the curiculum offers many opportuni tes that can be expanded to include sounds for mood or atmosphere, 227 Tis a5 vital to allow young children to use their sound imagination as it is to explore their potential for visual or linguistic exeativty. Sound does not always have to be accom. ppanimaent, but sometimes sounds can provoke imagination, The class “sound box" can be place to begin whole-language experiences, Your clas, either together or as individuals, can select one, two, or three unusual sounds and use them a8 atopic o as pert of a story, ‘Children ean be made more aware oftheir sound environment and bring souads to share Just a5 naturally as they share new objects or experiences, Often, because of children's television experiences, particular sounds will provoke ‘identical responses or naming from them, Such sounds as loud claps for thunder, repeated ‘fuythmic drumming for American Indian ceremonies, or pentatonie instruments for Asian ‘backgrounds may be past oftheir sound stereotypes. Sound clichés certainly exist and ean be useful at times in your coriculm. And thee are indeed particular musicel sounds rep ‘resentative of individual cultures that children should experience when they learn about the cultures. Finding the balance between accepting these clichés and expanding the abil- ity of Your students to think in divergent and critical ways isan esseatial par of good teaching. Accepting a child's response thatthe sound of a yogurt container containing tice is “rain” could lead to an activity wherein one or more children are sent to the “sound box’ to classify the sounds according to weather. This exploration could then be extended! to an art or language project. The important aspect of using diverse sounds in your class. {oom is that you provide another way for children to enlarge theit ways of thinking and listening. EXPLORING ALTERNATE WAYS OF PRODUCING SOUNDS ‘he typical lasroom instrument holdings ofthe elementary schoo often ince pitched and Unpitched pereussion (including hand drums, maracas, guos, tangles, wood blocks, and finger cymbals) as well as Autoharps, recorder, larget cymbals, and tam bourines. The instmuments may be hidden away in each classroom, o there may only be ‘one cache inthe music zoom. Wherever they are to be found, these simple struments are 2 great source of classroom enhancement, as they can provide instant tmbral interest for any of your activities, However, these simple instruments aré also a great source of discovery for students hen they are asked to use them in nontraditional ways, Students can be asked to sce how many different ways they can find to produce a soond on a single instrument. They can also have a great time making unusual sounds on “found objects,” such as kitchen equipment, discarded metal pipes and sheets, junk wood seraps, and wire, The local recy

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