Purpose:
Helping children find the beat in music.
Introduces/Supports/Reinforces:
Music concepts
Pattern recognition
Attention to detail
Kinesthetic sense
Mathematics, including the concept of more/less and time
Supplies Needed:
-Anything that children can use to mimic a beat: a drum, a pot with a spoon, etc
-Music clips. Best if there are no lyrics. Make the songs simple if the children are young. You can also use our music clips here, here, here
Instructions/Teaching Touchstones:
-"We are going to do a little exploring of sound today. Everyone sit very still and close your eyes. Listen to the music. When you hear the beat, do the same beat with your drum."
-[Teacher listens to music and finds the beat]
-"Ok now you try!"
-Repeat with different types and speeds of music.
Notes:
1) Some children and adults have trouble finding the beat in music. That's ok. If the child can’t find the beat with the music, we recommend going back to the Lesson “Discovering Rhythm Part 1” and “Discovering Rhythm Part 2” and practicing.
2) Sometimes ear issues or a stuffy head can cause difficulties in distinguishing sounds. Also, some children (and adults) have trouble with distraction and differentiation in settings where multiple sounds or movement is occurring. If necessary, you might dim the lights slightly, have the children wear an eye mask or pull a cap down over their eyes, and ensure that the environment is still and quiet except the music.
3) Practicing finding and repeating the beat is also an invaluable skill in writing poetry when the child is older.
These activities are presented without assumption of your child’s age or developmental stage. Children grow and develop so quickly during early childhood, but they are still learning how to control their bodies and are taking in enormous information—everything is brand new!
If you try an activity and your child is unable to complete it, relax 😊. That is normal for children. Adjust the activities to your child’s level or do a different activity entirely. Perhaps come back to an activity in 3 or 6 or 12 months and try again.
We cannot emphasize enough that the MOST important part of these activities is exposure and fun—exposure of the child to new ideas and fun with the parent so the child has a long term, enduring idea that learning is a good thing.
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