Inner Hearing Games

Hello this is Lindsay Jervis from Pursuit of Joyfulness. I hope you are all enjoying your summer. I have exactly two weeks before I am back in my classroom. Where did summer go?!? I still have so much to do!


Today's Topic: Inner Hearing

What is inner hearing? Inner hearing is the ability to hear the music inside our heads without the aid of an outside sound source.

Why is it important?
Kodaly believed that inner hearing was a vital part of developing the musical literacy of students.

How do we help our students get there? PLAY! Inner hearing games are a great way to assess if you students are thinking the music inside their heads even when they don't hear it.

Here are a few to try:

1) Sing a word inside your head:

After students know a song really well, you can chose a word (or words) for students to sing inside their heads.


I've heard this song sung more than one way, so I know there are variants on it, but for whatever version you use, you can have students put a word inside their head and substitute it for an action. OR do it it opposite and give them a few words that they can sing such as "chestnut" and "tree". 

2) Hand puppets

Meet Shelly:

Shelly the snail is a staple puppet in my classroom. Possibly one of the most beloved puppets I own. She is really shy and hides in her snail on the first day I present her to the kids. They sing to get her out of her shell and she can only hear when we use our singing voices. 

When I am working on inner hearing with my kids, I use her with the song "Snail Snail". When Shelly is out of her snail they sing, when she is inside the shell, they sing the words inside their heads.


I also use pop up puppets like this:
Pop Up Clown Puppet
When the puppet is down we do not sing: Pop Up Clown Puppet
And when we can see him then we sing: Pop Up Clown Puppet


3) Signs

I created some really cute signs that I am going to use to get my students to quickly switch from singing to inner hear (or solfa to text or patting the steady beat to reading and clapping the rhythms).
They print out in color or black and white two to a sheet. Fold down the middle and glue along the top and side. Leave the bottom open and you can either stick your hand up in the bottom to hold it, have your kids be the "conductors", or tape a painter's stick inside the bottom and have a hand held stick. If you want them Separated, you can cut the page down the middle and make each one it's own sign, but I really like wearing it on my hand and being able to flip it quickly. You can grab these for FREE here.

Join in the collaboration: What are your favorite activities for inner hearing? Comment below!

5 comments

Elizabeth Caldwell said...

I love all of these ideas- many are similar to things I do. I think the puppets that can pop in and out are SO effective for the little ones! And I am definitely going to be snagging those singing and inside voice signs! So cute and perfect for these activities! I'm also thrilled to see this version of "under the spreading chestnut tree". I grew up in the Japanese public schools singing this in Japanese, but I had forgotten about it and had never heard it in English before. It is such a lovely song! I'm excited to add it to my rep this year! Thanks :)

http://caldwellorganizedchaos.blogspot.com/

Malinda Phillips said...

Love my puppets! I don't have a pop up one though. That may need to be a necessary addition to my room this year. :-) An additional idea for inner hearing is "The Radio Game". Not my idea but picked it up somewhere along the way and liked it. I simply draw a radio of sorts (my drawing skills are questionable) on the board with a large power switch. When I point to "on" we sing. When I point to "off" we sing in our heads. After all, the music keeps going whether we are listening or not! ;-) This general idea could also be used to reinforce the concept of crescendo and decrescendo by using a volume button instead of a power switch. Great post!

Malinda
My Musical Menagerie: Kodaly and Orff Classroom

Lindsay Jervis said...

Is the melody the same as you learned it? I've heard it two different ways, and I sing them both to my daughter, but I seem to like this way the best!

Lindsay Jervis said...

Oh YES! I always forget about that one, but I think it might be in the American Methodology! :)

pianopablo said...

How can I get those puppet, please!

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