Submitted by Pamela Rezach, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Idea posted November 1, 2002
As of last year, I started doing the following activity to help the children learn that low/high is not the same as soft/loud. It has been successful and they, too, love doing it.
When I play high notes, they raise their hands above their heads. If I play the high notes loud, the students are to shake their hands (the deaf person's way of applauding) in the air. If I play the high notes soft, they are to put their hands in a prayer position above their head.
When I play low notes, they are to place their hands in a downward position. If I play them loud, they shake their hands, if I play them soft, they put them in the prayer position.
It lets me see those who have no idea what the difference is fairly easily, because those who copy others are always a bit behind positioning their hands in the right hand positions.