Frog and Bird Sounds

It is utterly amazing to me, when I play an animal sound in the Kindermusik class, how all the children are FASCINATED, and listen so intently.  It is fun to start a bit of fun vocal play based on the songs we hear.  Recently, in the Our Time program, we have focused on the sounds of frogs, recognizing that frogs from different places can make such different sounds.  Several of the songs on the CD are folk songs from other countries that use “their” frog sounds, like the lullaby “Co-qui” (Mexico);  “Ku-ack-ack-ack” (Sweden), and even this cool frog saying Kvaak (Finland).

I have found a website. by Lang Elliott, NatureSound Studio , that shows the pictures of different frogs, and plays the sound they make, as well as a short description that often helps us know how to replicate the sounds.  It is fun to take a few moments with your child, and check out http://www.naturesound.com/frogs/frogs.html – have them choose a frog, listen intently to their sound, then try to imitate the sounds. 

Ribbit, Ribbit, CROAK, Coqui, Ku-ack-ack-ack-ack, kvaak, etc.

In the Imagine That! program, as well as the Kindermusik for the Young Child program, the students have been listening to bird sounds, matching them with the pictures, and imitating their sounds.  http://www.naturesound.com/birds/birds.html is a different section of the same website that has the pictures, comments, and sounds of different song birds.

Cheerio, Cuckoo, Chick-a-dee-dee-dee, tweet tweet tweedle-eedle-eet…

Lang Elliot also has produced CDs you can purchase that will help you and your children recognize specific species of birds, or frogs, by their sound.  EXCELLENT listening discrimination activities for the older students!

This type of listening and vocal play really helps them to be more aware of their environment, and plays a crucial part of their abilities as musical people to really hear and replicate the sounds they hear – both vocally and on instruments.  

Brain Smart information:  This type of listening and imitation also accesses the frontal lobe sections of the brain which makes it easier for them to hear and respond to the sounds around them. 

It can be very useful in a situation where they a child is very upset (when they are operating in the “survival” centers of the brain).  Do your best to observe any type of natural sounds around them (including animal, plants, or even people or vehicles), and ask them if they can hear that sound and help you determine what is making that sound.   It can jumpstart the process of bringing thoughts to the proper parts of the brain that allow them to think and reason.  Be sure to support that processing long enough to help them calm down before trying to solve whatever problem might have caused the upset.