Introduction

As educators, one of our goals is to help our students develop the ability to adapt to different social situations. This is particularly important for students in Special Education, who may require additional support in learning how to navigate various environments. The Voice Scale is an effective tool that can help students become social chameleons, allowing them to change their behavior and voice levels to match their surroundings and the people they are interacting with. In this blog post, we will explore an easy-to-implement activity and discussion questions that can help students understand and practice using the Voice Scale.

No-Prep Activity: Voice Scale Charades

This activity requires no preparation or materials and can be done in any setting. The purpose of this game is to help students practice using different voice levels while also learning to recognize them in others. Here’s how to play:

1. Divide the students into two teams.
2. Each team takes turns sending one member to the front of the room.
3. The student at the front is given a voice level (whisper, indoor voice, outside voice, or yelling) and a short phrase or sentence to say in that voice level.
4. The student then says the phrase in the assigned voice level, and their team must guess the voice level being used.
5. If the team correctly identifies the voice level, they earn a point.
6. Play continues until all students have had a chance to participate or until a predetermined score is reached.

This activity not only helps students practice using different voice levels but also encourages them to pay attention to the volume of their own voices and those of others.

Discussion Questions

1. Why is it important to pay attention to our voice levels in different situations?
2. Can you think of a situation where you had to change your voice level to match the setting or the people around you? How did it make you feel?
3. How can using the Voice Scale help you become a better social chameleon?
4. What challenges might someone face when trying to adapt their voice level to different situations?
5. How can we support others who may struggle with using appropriate voice levels in various settings?

Related Skills

Understanding and utilizing the Voice Scale is just one aspect of becoming a social chameleon. Other important skills that can help students adapt to different social situations include:

• Reading body language and facial expressions
• Active listening and responding appropriately to others
• Recognizing and respecting personal boundaries
• Adjusting communication styles based on the audience
• Developing empathy and understanding the feelings of others

Next Steps

Teaching students to use the Voice Scale is an important step in helping them become more adaptable in social situations. If you’re interested in exploring more activities and resources to support your students’ social-emotional growth, we encourage you to sign up for free sample materials from Everyday Speech. These resources can provide valuable guidance and inspiration as you continue to foster essential life skills in your students.