Sound Words - Onomatopoeia

Language Arts

Definition

Onomatopoeia - words that imitate real sounds

Examples

achoo, bang, beep, boom, bow-wow, brrr, buzz, chirp, clang, click, cluck, ding-dong, fizz, hiss, honk, meow, moo, oink, ouch, plop, pop, ring, roar, sizzle, splash, splat, thump, tick-tock, tweet, vroom, whiz, whoosh, zoom

Suggested Teaching Ideas
Choose the activities that are appropriate for your students depending on their ages, ability levels and interests.

• Discuss the fact that many animal sounds are onomatopoeia. Read *literature that contains these words to your students. Brainstorm animal sound words with students and begin a class list. (meow, oink, bow-wow, moo)
• Read *literature to the students which contains numerous examples of onomatopoeia. Have students LISTEN for the Sound Words. 
• Create a class chart of Onomatopoeia Sounds.
• Have children close their eyes and LISTEN for sounds.
• Each day as children hear or read stories, riddles, etc.have them add any new onomatopoeia words that they come across to the class chart. (Continue for several weeks.)
• Add sound words heard in everyday life to their chart.  (examples: clocks-tick-tock, cars-beep, beep)
• Students can invent their own sound words.
• Listen to music tapes, CDs, DVDs of nature sounds, ocean sounds, rainforest sounds, farm sounds, city sounds, country sounds, etc.
• Have students play or listen to musical instrument sounds.
• Have students create their own musical instruments.
• Sing songs with sound words (Old MacDonald Had a Farm)
• Have students illustrate sound words.
• Share riddles and jokes that contain sound words. (lots of knock-knock jokes)
• Make-up sentences using sound words.
• Listen to and write poetry using onomatopoeia.
• Read comics strips that contain onomatopoeia and highlight the sound words.
• Work in pairs, small groups, or individually to create comic strips using onomatopoeia.
• Act out commercials seen on TV that contain sound words.
• Create jingles for their favorite products using onomatopoeia.
• Watch movies that contain lots of sound words (example: Disney's Fantasia)
• Take field trips to zoos, aquariums, etc. (or other places that have lots of sounds)
• Attend sporting events: basketball, hockey, baseball, etc. (lots of sounds here!)
• Attend a live symphony orchestra performance or listen to a symphony on CD, video, etc.

BUZZZZ

*Literature Examples

• Mother Goose and other Nursery Rhymes and Kids' Poetry
• Common songs for children: "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"
• Dr. Suess: Mr Brown Can Moo! Can You?
• Raffi - The Wheels on the Bus
• Marc Robinsom: Cock-a-doodle-doo: What Does It Sound Like to You?
• Pam Conrad: Animal Lingo
• Hank DeZutter: Who Says a Dog Goes Bow-wow?
• Shel Silverstein Poetry Books: ("Noisy Day" from Falling Up, "Squishy Touch" and "Push Button" from A Light in the Attic, "The Fourth" from Where the Sidewalk Ends.)
• Beverly Cleary: The Mouse and the Motorcycle (chapter book)

Here is a link to a video of Mr Brown Can Moo! Can You? on the Gamequarium website.
Click here: Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You?

For an alphabetical list of onomatopoeia words go here.

Tick - Tock,  Tick - Tock

Beep! Beep!

To see a really cute Onomatopeia Bulletin Board from SchoolBulletinBoards.net click here.

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