Using voice as a musical instrument
In this Storytime 4, we draw together and make musical sounds with our voices, to make a text come alive!
Voice is a basic communication tool. Teachers and children can use their voices with different pitch, melody and loudness to convey meaning in various social situations. Using the voice as an instrument develops students’ oral language, a pillar of early reading acquisition (Konza, 2014).
Oral language competence is foundational in learning to read. Oral language is important because children need requisite language skills to find, share and receive information. Strong oral language predicts a child’s ability to communicate effectively. Early reading research links oral language development and reading acquisition, with variations in oral language linked to reading comprehension skills (Verdon et al., 2018).
Oral communication has two modes- receptive and expressive. Receptive oral language includes listening and comprehension. Expressive oral language includes talking (using oral language, speech sounds, fluency, voice and singing). Both receptive and expressive language are integral in oral language development, from which reading and writing builds and develops.
Our voices are natural musical instruments. We can use our voices, not just for speaking, but as a musical tool for creating sounds, emotions and expression in a performance. The voice is a wind instrument, drawing on air from our lungs. Our vocal cords vibrate in a resonating chamber consisting of the ears, upper throat, nose and mouth. We make different sounds by varying the tension of the opening of the vocal cords. Adding musical sounds can make a text more enjoyable, expressive and increase comprehension (Cohen, 2015).
AC F – 2 curriculum links:
AC V9 English:
AC FLA03, AC9E1LA03, AC9E2LA03 (text structure and organisation)
AC9EFLA07, AC9E1LA07, AC9E2LA07 (images/ words go together to make meaning, grammar)
AC9E1LA09, AC9E2LA09 (vocabulary) AC9E1LE02, AC9E2LE02 (links to personal experiences, opinions in literary texts)
AC9EFLE04, AC9E1LE04, AC9E2LE04 (rhyme, rhythm, sound patterns)
AC V9 The Arts: Music
AC9AMUFD01, AC9AMU2D01 (develop skills using play, imagination; playing instruments)
AC9AMUFC01, AC9AMU2C01 (create art works that share ideas, use musical concepts)
AC9AMUFP01, AC9AMU2P01 (share art works with audiences, perform in informal settings)
Learning Intentions:
· To orally share stories about where we live
· To use voice to add sound effects, add meaning to text
· To produce and share an artwork by following the narrative in a text.
Before the story:
Students share their artworks of where they live with the group (pre-task; between session task).
Teacher: Before we begin today’s story, I’d like to share with you how we make sounds with our voice. Our voice is the ultimate musical instrument. Our voice is a wind instrument, like a whistle (show any woodwind instrument). Sounds are made when objects vibrate, just like a vibraslap (any vibrating instrument will do). Our ears, our voice box (put your hand there so you can feel your vocal chords vibrating as you make sounds), and our mouth, including our nose- all work together to make sound. Together, our ‘talking gear’ is called the vocal cavity.
Let’s play a game to see if you understand… This game is called, “Do something with your voice”.
Activity (circle activity): “Do something with your voice”. I’ll start. I’ll make a sound, and I want you all to copy. You’ll need to use your eyes as well as your ears…
Eg: plop (glottal clicks- rain landing on water). Would anyone else like a turn? Raise your hand …
Play a Singing bowl - listen. “What does it sound like? Yes- you can easily hear the singing bowl vibrate, making a continuous sound”.
About the author: Discuss the author, Bob Graham and show other texts he has written (there are around 34, so there should be some in the school library. He has won the CBCA book of the year in Australia 7 times!). Unpack his illustrator style so children are familiar. Talk about aspects of visual literacy, including characters, colours, salience, distance, framing.
Remind students about figurative language- when words don’t mean what they say e.g. “children spilled out like sweets from a box”; revise simile- when something is like something else.
Orientation to text: Talk about what it was like going to school during COVID. Encourage children to share their experiences. Tell students this book is a post-pandemic story. It is about children who live in a tall housing tower, surrounded by concrete; and what they did when they were finally allowed outside to play.
*Ensure students have blank paper and drawing instruments (bright colours) ready to use during read-aloud.
Drumroll: ddddddd. Make the sound with your voice (in anticipation of what is to come).
Mentor text: Graham, B. (2023). The Concrete Garden. Walker Books.
The Concrete Garden
Read text introduction. Talk about the sound elevators make when they open. Participants make the sound (ding dong). Every time it opens and children pile in from 15th floor to ground, children make the elevator opening sound with their voices.
Read each page. Discuss/ highlight challenging vocabulary throughout (e.g. dandelion, scuffle, smudged. It is a useful reminder to put a transparent post-it over challenging vocabulary in preparation for read- aloud as a reminder to unpack vocab for students).
Children draw their own pictures, following along with the text in the book.
At the conclusion of story, invite children to ‘show and tell’ about their pictures.
Some post/ reflection questions to elicit conversations about the text:
What did you think about the story? Characters?
Was there a main message or theme? What was it? Why do you think this?
Has anything like this happened to you?
Do you know anyone like this?
*Encourage students to take the lead/ discuss and ask their own questions; in doing so they are developing their own storytelling identities.
Display student drawings in classroom, alongside any student comments about text, written clearly as an authoritative source; modelling the talking, listening, reading and writing link.
Thank you.
