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Pre-Kindergarten Music Units

Unit Plan 19 (PreK Music): Listening for Sound Clues

PreK music unit where students become sound detectives, identifying voices, instruments, and classroom sounds while building listening skills and sound vocabulary.

Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

• 7 min read
Unit Plan 19 (PreK Music): Listening for Sound Clues

Focus: Help children become “sound detectives” who listen carefully to identify voices, instruments, and other sounds in music and the classroom environment.

Grade Level: PreK

Subject Area: Music (Exploring • Performing • Responding • Connecting)

Total Unit Duration: 2–3 sessions (2+ weeks), 10–20 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, children practice using their listening ears to notice and describe different kinds of sounds. Through simple games and mystery-sound activities, they decide whether a sound comes from a voice, an instrument, or another source in their environment. Students build vocabulary for describing sounds while strengthening their ability to attend, focus, and respond appropriately during listening tasks.

Essential Questions

  • How can we use our listening ears to tell what we hear?
  • What makes a sound a voice, an instrument, or another kind of sound?
  • How can we use words, pictures, and movement to show what we hear in music?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

  1. Use listening ears to notice and respond when they hear a sound in the classroom or in music.
  2. Decide whether a sound is a voice, an instrument, or another sound and show their choice with pointing, pictures, or words.
  3. Match simple instrument sounds (e.g., drum, shaker, bells) to the correct picture or object.
  4. Use basic sound words (loud, soft, high, low) or gestures to describe what they hear.

Standards Alignment — PreK Music (NAfME-Aligned)

  • MU:Re7.1.PK — Identify music through listening. Children recognize and describe sounds and music they hear.
    • Example: Saying “That is a drum,” “That music is quiet,” or “I hear a singing voice.”

Success Criteria — Student Language

  • I can use my listening ears when music or sounds are playing.
  • I can tell if a sound is a voice, an instrument, or another sound.
  • I can point to or name an instrument when I hear it.
  • I can use words like loud, soft, high, or low to tell about a sound.