Introduction
Helping young children understand the role of tone of voice in expressing emotions, especially anger, is crucial for their social-emotional development. By recognizing and managing their tone of voice, students can communicate more effectively and build better relationships with their peers. In this blog post, we will explore a no-prep activity for educators working with PreK students to teach them about the impact of tone of voice on anger expression, followed by discussion questions, related skills, and next steps to further their learning.
No-Prep Activity: The Angry Voice Game
This simple and engaging activity requires no preparation or materials from the educator. The objective of the game is to help students identify the changes in tone of voice when someone is angry and practice using a calm tone of voice even when they feel upset.
- Have the students sit in a circle.
- Explain that when people are angry, their tone of voice often changes: it becomes deeper and louder.
- Ask one student to start by saying a neutral sentence, such as “I want to play with the ball,” in an angry tone of voice.
- Next, the student to their left should repeat the same sentence in a calm tone of voice.
- Continue around the circle, alternating between angry and calm tones of voice, until every student has had a turn.
- Conclude the game by discussing the importance of using a calm tone of voice when expressing anger.
Discussion Questions
After completing the activity, engage the students in a conversation about tone of voice and anger expression using the following questions:
- How did you feel when you heard the angry tone of voice? How did it make you feel when you heard the calm tone of voice?
- Why is it important to use a calm tone of voice when we are angry?
- Can you think of a time when you were angry and used an angry tone of voice? How did it affect the situation?
- What are some strategies you can use to maintain a calm tone of voice when you feel angry?
- How can understanding and managing our tone of voice help us build better relationships with our friends?
Related Skills
In addition to understanding the impact of tone of voice on anger expression, there are other relevant skills that can help PreK students develop their social-emotional learning:
- Recognizing facial expressions and body language associated with different emotions.
- Developing empathy and understanding how others might feel in various situations.
- Practicing active listening and effective communication skills.
- Learning conflict resolution strategies and problem-solving methods.
Next Steps
Help your students continue to grow their social-emotional learning skills by exploring more activities and resources. To get started, sign up for free sample materials that cover a variety of topics, including tone of voice, empathy, active listening, and conflict resolution. By incorporating these activities into your classroom, you can help your students develop essential life skills that will benefit them both academically and socially.
