Where do the sounds come from?

They are real recordings from Freesound, all released into the public domain, so they can be used anywhere without credit. Each one has been trimmed, faded and set to the same loudness.

What happens if a child picks the wrong picture?

The board plays the sound that picture makes and says what it is. It never shows a cross. Children often learn more from hearing the two sounds one after the other.

Why are there no pictures on the odd one out tiles?

So children have to listen to all three sounds. With the pictures up, the question can be answered by looking. They appear once the odd one has been found, or when you press Show me.

How loud is the loudest bar?

As loud as your speakers are set. The tool controls how loud the bars are compared with each other, so set the board's volume with the top bar before you start.

Does it work without sound?

Not really, because listening is the activity. If a sound will not load the board says so. You can still use the pictures and make the sounds yourself.

Sound Explorers

Early Years · Reception–Year 1

Three listening games: find the sound, spot the odd one out, copy loud and quiet.

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About the sound explorers

Phase 1 starts with listening, and this is three games for the first part of it, everyday sounds. Choose a game on the toolbar. Each one keeps its place when you swap to another.

Sound detective: press play, listen, and tap the picture that made the sound. A dog barking, a bell, traffic, rain, a tap running, paper ripping. Tap the wrong picture and the board plays that picture's sound and says what it was: tap the cow when it was the dog, and you hear a moo. Nothing is crossed out. Hearing the two side by side is how a class works out the difference.

Odd one out: three tiles numbered 1, 2 and 3, each with a sound behind it. Two go together and one does not, like wind, a dog barking and rain. The tiles have numbers rather than pictures so children have to listen to all three. When the odd one is found the pictures appear, and the board says what the other two have in common.

Loud and quiet: a picture of something loud and a row of ten volume bars. Tap a bar and the sound plays at that loudness, and the picture grows and shrinks with it. Then it is the class's turn: can they roar as quietly as the second bar, or bang a drum as loudly as the top one?

The sounds are real recordings rather than made up on a computer, and every one is free to use without credit. No two sounds that are too alike are on a board together: rain, a running tap and splashing all hiss, so they never share a round.

How to use it on your whiteboard

1Turn the board's volume up first. Nothing on the page can tell whether the speakers are on.
2Pick a game on the toolbar: Sound detective, Odd one out, or Loud and quiet.
3Sound detective: press play, then tap the picture that made the sound. Show me gives the answer and Next moves on.
4Odd one out: tap each numbered tile to hear it, then press Odd one out under the one that does not belong.
5Loud and quiet: tap a bar to hear the sound at that loudness, tap a picture under the card to change the sound, and ask the class to copy it.

Questions

Where do the sounds come from?: They are real recordings from Freesound, all released into the public domain, so they can be used anywhere without credit. Each one has been trimmed, faded and set to the same loudness.
What happens if a child picks the wrong picture?: The board plays the sound that picture makes and says what it is. It never shows a cross. Children often learn more from hearing the two sounds one after the other.
Why are there no pictures on the odd one out tiles?: So children have to listen to all three sounds. With the pictures up, the question can be answered by looking. They appear once the odd one has been found, or when you press Show me.
How loud is the loudest bar?: As loud as your speakers are set. The tool controls how loud the bars are compared with each other, so set the board's volume with the top bar before you start.
Does it work without sound?: Not really, because listening is the activity. If a sound will not load the board says so. You can still use the pictures and make the sounds yourself.