When producing their own audio projects, such as audio plays or interviews, children get to know the recording technique and its results. They can expand their media technology skills, gain experience with recording and microphone technology and learn
how to use this medium productively and actively at an early stage. Children also learn about the difference between listening and viewing, how to tell a story without using body language, the role of acoustics and how to use sounds, music and the
surrounding sounds. For example, if children make an audio play, they gain important experience with media reality; they learn the potential of their voice, how to change it slightly and yet to distinguish it well from the other children's voices.
They understand that manipulation is also possible if, for example, a piece of paper is crumpled to sound like fire in the recording.
Development of Skills when Producing Audio Projects
In audio plays, fictitious characters can be brought to life without much effort, with the help of sounds and the voice alone. Children are given the opportunity to hide behind their favourite heroes and to reveal fantasy, creativity, their own fears and their "bad" sides. Even reserved children can overcome their shyness when they act as witches or rabbits in front of the microphone.
The generation and recognition of sounds is an essential basis for the production of audio recordings since everything that is to be recorded must also be made audible. Sounds can therefore not only be seen as an aid for audio productions, but they can
also be used dramaturgically and create excitement when listened to. Moreover, when children deal with sounds, they practise their sense of hearing by experiencing the sound of their environment divergently and learning how to decode it.
You can guide children to make audio productions by showing them how to produce small audio plays or how to set a picture book to music. Recordings of natural and imitated sounds make children aware of how media reality is created, as the imitated sounds
on the recording also sound real.
Quiz Make your own sounds
Find the matching pairs. Which objects create which sound?
All children should be involved in the production of the audio recordings. Every learner in your class should be given a task: speaker, operator of the recording device, microphone holder (if you use one). Audio production, like film production, is the
result of teamwork. However, the final editing should be done by the ECEC professionals themselves, as the editing programmes are not designed for children. The free editing programme Audacity,
which we present in this module, assumes, for example, that the user can read.
Comprehension Questions
1. How can you involve as many children as possible in the production of each audio project?
2. What different roles can the children play in the production of an audio recording?
3. What skills do the children develop by being involved in the production of audio projects?