How to make Whisper Phones

Whisper phones. If you've never tried them, you're missing a trick! Students just love them! 

If you've never heard of them, let me tell you all about them, how to make them and how you can use them to help students in your classroom.

What they are?

Whisper phones are plastic tubing that students hold to their ear and whisper into to hear their own voice. They work particularly well in a busy classroom as students can literally whisper words into them and can hear themselves clearly in the classroom. 

How you make them?

Whisper phones are so easy to make. I actually went to Bunnings hardware store (but any hardware store would have them) and grabbed some pieces of plastic plumbing tubes. I then asked a Bunnings employee to show me where the elbows were to fit those pipes. Once I had enough elbows for each end, I asked the staff member if they would cut them for me. I'm not sure if they normally do this, or they felt sorry for me! However, he cut them into roughly 10 cm lengths. I had a few pieces which were smaller  but that ended up working out just fine for those smaller students. I then used some colourful tape (from Kmart) to decorate them. 

How do they work in the classroom?

My Prep students use them during Guided Reading groups. Whenever they are required to read quietly to themselves, they grab a whisper phone and hold it up to their ear. This keeps the classroom noise to a minimum and encourages reluctant readers. I use my Guided Reading Emergent Reader Cards with my whisper phones and my rotations run much more smoothly. 

I have seen older students use them when proofreading their work, so they're not limited to Prep/Grade 1 students. How do YOU use them? Answer in the comments below.