Learning Objectives
- To explore creating sound effects.
EYFS outcomes
Communication and Language
ELG: Listening, Attention and Understanding
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Listen attentively and respond to what they hear with relevant questions, comments and actions when being read to and during whole class discussions and small group interactions.
Expressive Arts and Design
ELG: Being Imaginative and Expressive
Children at the expected level of development will:
- Perform songs, rhymes, poems and stories with others, and – when appropriate – try to move in time with music.
See Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage.
Non-statutory curriculum guidance
Characteristics of effective learning
- Playing and exploring.
- Active learning.
Expressive arts and design
Children in reception will be learning to:
- Sing in a group or on their own, increasingly matching the pitch and following the melody.
See Development Matters (non-statutory curriculum guidance).
Before the lesson
Have ready
- Audio: Transport sound effects (elephant, bird, car, monkey, boat, train).
- Audio: Transport song modelled singing (you may like to listen to this before the lesson if you would like to model it).
Teacher Notes
To teach the Audio: Transport song modelled singing use the ‘my turn, your turn’ technique:
Using a speaking voice:
- First sing through the whole song (or play the demo track on the Audio: Transport song modelled singing).
- Cross your hands over your chest and say, using a speaking voice, the lyrics for the first line very slowly.
- Open your arms and invite the children to repeat.
- Listen to the response and repeat if necessary.
- Repeat the process with the other lines.
- Say all the lyrics but leave out the last word on each line for the children to fill in.
- Model any line again that the children are unsure of.
Using a singing voice:
- Cross your hands over your chest, sway your body gently to the beat and slowly sing the first line.
- Open your arms and invite the children to repeat (check that a singing voice is being used).
- Repeat with the other lines.
- Sing “Ready, steady, off we go,” and sing the whole song together swaying gently to the beat.
Warm up
Arrange the children in a circle and ask them to close their eyes. Play all six sounds, one after the other, from the Audio: Transport sound effects (elephant, bird, car, monkey, boat, train). You may want to check the volume level as some of the sounds are loud.
Audio: Elephant:
Audio: Bird:
Audio: Car:
Audio: Monkey:
Audio: Boat:
Audio: Train:
Ask the children:
- What sounds did you hear?
- What types of transport did you hear?
- Which sound effects were not types of transport? (Replay the sounds for the children to hear again if necessary).
Explain that the children will listen to the Audio: Transport sound effects again but this time they will only listen to the ones playing the transport sounds. Play the Audio: Car again. Invite the children to copy the sound back, using their voices. Check that the children are in agreement that the sound they heard is a car.
Repeat the listening activity using Audio: Train and Audio: Boat.
Discuss with the children what the differences are between the transport sounds that they have heard. For example, the children might notice that the boat makes a splashing sound, the car makes a low growl and there is a high whistle at the start of the train audio.
Main activities
Play the Audio: Transport song modelled singing or model singing the song to the children without the track.
Audio: Transport song modelled singing:
Ask the children the following:
- What types of transport did they hear in the song?
- Which order did they hear them in? (A train, a boat and a car.)
Teach the song to the children using the tune of ‘Row, row, row your boat’ (see Teacher note):
Chug, chug, goes the train, on the railroad tracks. Hear the whistle blow, as we journey and relax.
Splosh, splosh, goes the boat, across the ocean blue. Waves go up and down, as we explore something new.
Vroom, vroom, goes the car, gently down the road. If you see a stop sign, remember to go slow.
Play the Audio: Transport song modelled singing to the children again. The children may join in as the music is being played. Ask them to notice what happens between each verse (there is music but no singing).
Share that when there is no singing, the children will make sounds and movements associated with the train, boat and car.
Model making some sounds associated with the train. For example, chug, clack or a whistle.
Organise the class into pairs.
In their pairs invite the children to discuss any different sounds and movements they can think of for the train, boat and car in turn. For example choo, splash or vroom. Each pair should then create sounds and movements for the boat, car and train.
You might like to play the Audio: Transport Sound Effects (car, boat and train) again to help with this. If the children struggle with this, then agree on a sound and movement for the boat, car and train together and give each pair time to practice this. Children that need further support could focus on one type of transport sound.
Allow time for the children to share their examples with the class.
Share with the children that they will add their sounds and movements to the Audio: Transport song modelled while it is being played again.
You may like to remind the children of the words to the Audio: Transport song modelled by saying all the lyrics but leaving out the last word on each line for the children to fill in.
Sing “Please stand up” and “Face your partner”.
Play the Audio: Transport song modelled. For each verse, ask the children to sing the words and make the sounds and actions in the breaks between each verse (the words start after the guitar sound, the second verse at 00:33 and the third verse at 01:03).
Audio: Transport song modelled:
Divide the class into two and ask one half to perform the song, with actions, while the other half listens. Ask the half that listened to give feedback on the sounds they heard and the movements and actions they see. Then repeat this and ask the half that performed to listen.
During the week
Encourage the children to explore areas within continuous provision they have not tried before.
- Encourage the children to sing the Audio: Transport song modelled; see if they can create new sounds and movements for the different vehicles.
- Ask the children to provide ideas for other vehicles (for example, a lorry or an aeroplane) and, with adult support, create a new verse using their own sounds and movements.
Key vocabulary
- car
- boat
- train
Prompts for learning
- “Have you heard these sounds before?”
- “What do you notice when you make the sounds for different vehicles?”
- “What actions could you make for each transport sound?”
Observations
Can the children:
- Differentiate between the sounds of different types of vehicles?
- Sing the song with a sense of pulse?
- Create appropriate sounds to represent different vehicles?
- Create appropriate movements to represent different vehicles?
Next steps
- To explore making sounds at different speeds.
- Note any specific next steps for individuals.
