Types of sound-based activities for literacy: recording

 

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The use of sound and recordings can be highly advantageous early in the school process, even in kindergartens with equipment for simple recordings.

 

Example of a lesson

The students will have to work with the letter sounds /S/, /M/ and /A/

  • The teacher gives a letter or the sound e.g. /M/
  • The student has to say words that start with the sound (e.g. mother, milk, mouse)
  • The students record their voices on a tablet, stereo microphone or phones
  • The students will listen to the recording afterwards

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The class or another student gives feedback

  • Was the sound clear?
  • Does the word start correctly with the sound?

Purpose behind this activity

  • Develop phonological awareness
  • Improve pronunciation and sound recognition
  • Strengthen self-reflection through recording, listening and the subsequent conversation with the partner or class

Variations

  • Students can record a short story focusing on specific sounds
  • “Guess the sound”: other students listen and guess what sounds/words are being said
  • Work in pairs → one recorder, one assessment

Why does it work?

When students hear their own voice, they become more aware of:

  • How sounds are formed
  • The difference between right and wrong pronunciations
  • It is very motivating for the students to work with their own recordings 

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Key outcomes 

  • Recordings are usable for early teaching of literacy
  • The recordings can develop the students’ phonological awareness in a natural way
  • Using their own recordings can be very motivating towards the teaching and the students’ experience of participation.

 

Resources

  • Ehri, L. C., Nunes, S. R., Willows, D. M., Schuster, B. V., Yaghoub-Zadeh, Z., & Shanahan, T. (2001). Phonemic awareness instruction helps children learn to read: Evidence from the National Reading Panel’s meta-analysis. Reading Research Quarterly, 36(3), 250–287.
  • Gillon, G. T. (2018). Phonological Awareness: From Research to Practice (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
  • Robin, B. (2016). The Power of Digital Storytelling to Support Teaching and Learning. Digital Education Review, 30, 17–29.
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