The Yellow Brick Road
  • Home
  • Categories
    • Tempo
    • Rhythm
    • Melody
    • Harmony
    • Timbre
    • Form
    • Dynamics
    • Other
  • Shop
  • About
  • Contact

The Sound Game and a Freebie

Tuesday, September 9, 2014


In my first year of teaching, I had no idea just how often my students would have to stand in line, waiting to go back to their classrooms. It's frightening when you see students on the edge of mutiny. It's kind of the same feeling you get when standing in an impossibly long line at the grocery store. You feel the tension as customers become more and more impatient. They shift their weight, look around for a manager, and perhaps make snide comments to the patrons behind them.

The difference between the grocery store and the classroom, is that teachers in the classroom have the authority to make a positive change. There's no need to panic or let the classroom degrade into an array of spitballs and hair-pulling. Music teachers can utilize one of their many skills, improvisation.

During my first year, in those fateful minutes standing at the head of the line, I improvised. I sat down at the piano and made-up what would eventually be called (not-so-cleverly) the Sound Game. In essence, the sound game leads students through non-locomotor movements to accompany sounds on the piano. Most of the sounds are used to review basic musical concepts.

A few have no purpose other than to make the students laugh. As with all games in my classroom, I edited and refined the rules as the years progressed. Click on the picture below to download your own free copy.


This freebie is only meant to be a guide. Ultimately, the movements and sounds of the game depended on my students and their needs.

In addition to using this with grade-level classes, I also played it with our transition class as part of our lessons. The game reviewed many basic musical concepts, while giving them the opportunity to work on fine and gross motor skills. They loved it.

I know many teachers have their own unique methods for using up every last second of music class (and probably have wittier names for them as well). What are your methods for avoiding standing-in-line mutiny?
Labels: Lines and Restrooms, Music Education

10 comments

  1. Brittany De LaruelleSeptember 10, 2014 at 2:57 PM

    Depends on the day. I do play quiet mouse with certain classes if their teachers are running a bit behind. This is a game where students get picked as the quiet mouse if they are standing quietly in line. Once you are picked you leave line and pick someone else who is standing quietly. The only rule I stress in my classroom is they only have 10 seconds to pick, so they shouldn't just pick friends. Just pick the first person who is quiet and try to spread the love.

    Another thing I do is sometimes I'll ask questions about the lesson. Ask them how many beats does a quarter note get? What do we call this note when we clap it?

    Or sometimes we will even sing a song while we wait.

    I'm going to check out your freebie. Thanks for adding it to this post! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jennifer theylbrickroadSeptember 10, 2014 at 3:10 PM

      I'd never heard of the quiet mouse game, but it sounds relaxing ;) What do the students do after they've picked someone else to be the mouse? I hope my freebie is useful to you! Thanks for visiting :)

      Delete
    2. Brittany De LaruelleSeptember 11, 2014 at 8:37 AM

      They go back to where they were in line and hope to get picked again (which means they have to stay quiet). I'm always surprised how well it works. Most of the time I don't see ANY kids talking at all. Every once in a while I'll get one kid that is talking, but normally the other kids will just show him a quiet sign without saying anything because they want to be picked. :)

      Delete
    3. Jennifer theylbrickroadSeptember 11, 2014 at 8:39 AM

      That's a great way to reinforce modeling! I was always explaining to the students that it's more helpful if they show that they're quiet rather than telling everyone else to be quiet :)

      Delete
    4. Reply
  2. Kay HumbertAugust 11, 2015 at 2:23 PM

    The link above is not working. :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yellow Brick Road BlogAugust 11, 2015 at 2:26 PM

      Sorry about that! I just updated the link, so it should be working now :)

      Delete
    2. Reply
  3. Narlene PlankAugust 20, 2017 at 2:54 PM

    Do you have a video of your class playing this game? I really like this idea, but am very visual. I would love to see it in action!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yellow Brick Road BlogAugust 21, 2017 at 2:43 PM

      No, I'm sorry. I don't have a video :(

      Delete
    2. Reply
  4. Rebecca E DavisNovember 17, 2017 at 7:45 PM

    I use an echo song I found on YouTube called Dum Dum Da Da. Basically you sing a phrase and do an action and they sing it back. They get reeeally entranced by it. Or I do "Mirror" which is pretty much Simon says but without talking. They mirror me and I try my best to trick them.

    And sometimes I just got for a song they know well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yellow Brick Road BlogNovember 20, 2017 at 11:50 AM

      I love that! I loved playing games like that with the kids. They're so much fun to trick ;)

      Delete
    2. Reply
Add comment
Load more...

Newer Post
Home
Older Post
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Hey There

Hey There

Hey There

I'm Jennifer, a music teacher turned teacher-author and blogger here at The Yellow Brick Road.
Learn More

Newsletter Sign Up

Popular Posts

  • Pass the Plate Rhythms
    The other day I was browsing Pinterest when I came across this post by Jodi from Fun in First (a fellow Indiana TPTer), in which she d...
  • My Top 5 Favorite Circle Games for Elementary Music
    By the time you read this, I'll be on my way to Atlanta Georgia. My husband and I will be attending Dragon Con. I've never been...
  • Rhythm Chairs Game: teaching beat versus rhythm
    A huge thank you is due to whomever originally invented the rhythm chairs game. This game is ideal for students with kinesthetic and/or v...
  • 3 Elementary Music Games to Play Outside
    Most elementary music games are conducive to being played outside on the playground. It gives everyone more room to move, it's a grea...
  • End of the Year Roundup
    Today I have my windows and doors open, enjoying the first truly warm breeze of the season. Summer may technically start on June 21st, ...

Blog Archive

  • ►  2018 (19)
    • ►  April (5)
    • ►  March (4)
    • ►  February (5)
    • ►  January (5)
  • ►  2017 (61)
    • ►  December (5)
    • ►  November (5)
    • ►  October (5)
    • ►  September (4)
    • ►  August (5)
    • ►  July (4)
    • ►  June (6)
    • ►  May (6)
    • ►  April (4)
    • ►  March (6)
    • ►  February (5)
    • ►  January (6)
  • ►  2016 (69)
    • ►  December (5)
    • ►  November (6)
    • ►  October (5)
    • ►  September (5)
    • ►  August (5)
    • ►  July (6)
    • ►  June (7)
    • ►  May (5)
    • ►  April (7)
    • ►  March (7)
    • ►  February (5)
    • ►  January (6)
  • ►  2015 (86)
    • ►  December (6)
    • ►  November (5)
    • ►  October (8)
    • ►  September (9)
    • ►  August (6)
    • ►  July (10)
    • ►  June (6)
    • ►  May (5)
    • ►  April (9)
    • ►  March (8)
    • ►  February (9)
    • ►  January (5)
  • ▼  2014 (51)
    • ►  December (8)
    • ►  November (8)
    • ►  October (13)
    • ▼  September (6)
      • Teaching Timbre in Elementary Music
      • Guest Post: Music Teaching from a World Traveler's...
      • Musical Treats Jar
      • The Yellow Brick Road's Instagram
      • Feed the Monster: a melody game freebie
      • The Sound Game and a Freebie
    • ►  August (1)
    • ►  July (2)
    • ►  June (3)
    • ►  May (3)
    • ►  March (4)
    • ►  February (3)

Follow by Email

Powered by Blogger.
© The Yellow Brick Road · Development by xomisse.com
yellowbrickroadblog.com by Jennifer Hibbard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Creative Commons License
Privacy Policy