Music & Movement Focus for Today: BEAT!

Our classes focus on beat, movement, and singing. We also weave in creative play that incorporates music, rhythm, movement,humor, role-playing, and props.

Children also benefit from our movement choices that include daily-life connection, humor, exaggerated contrast and problem solving .

Focus for Today: BEAT!

We know it is very important to keep a steady beat so that the children recognize the beat. Students clap, pat, shake, walk, march, dance, run, jump, to the beat.
Beat is primal.

Rare is the child who does not respond to it. Maybe the appeal derives from hearing Mom's steady heartbeat in the womb. But! The heart is not the only bodily function that has a beat. The breath has one. Walking has one. Even talking.

Research indicates that synchronizing movement to a beat improves attention, concentration, motor skills, planning and executing actions, as well as controlling aggression, and improving academic performance.

Also, by encouraging children to move to a beat, we give them a vehicle for expression. Moving to a beat is cathartic. There is also an emotional benefit in moving to a beat.

Try incorporating "BEAT awareness" at home, too. Your children will love it!

Help them notice and participate in rhythms:

• the windshield wipers   
• the turn signal
• the sound of grating cheese
• tapping a foot
• banging on a drum
• skipping
• brushing the dog
• clapping to a song
• rocking in a rocking chair
• kneading bread

Here is a painting called Rhythm of Colors. (artist: Padma Prasad) Ask your child to draw what he thinks rhythm might look like.
Talk about it with them and listen carefully. :-) All children are artists with amazing imaginations!