In all Kindermusik classes, there is always emphasis on hearing, feeling, moving, and even “seeing” a steady beat. It may seem very elementary, but it is essentially the cornerstone of music.
More importantly, steady beat plays a huge importance in our speech, movement, thoughts and verbal organization. From a baby’s first hesitant steps, he slowly finds his pace and soon starts to walk steadily and confidently. Our preschoolers who have a strong sense of beat would be able to use the scissors more skillfully. Ever watch a basketball game? The steady dribble of the ball before it is tossed into the basket require an acute sense of beat and timing. A master chef needs to have a command of steady beat in his knife skills. Even writers rely on a sense of steady beat and rhythm in their prose to produce a good read.
Because it is such a fundamental element, parents and teachers often do not give sufficient attention to the development of this very important underlying skill – a strong sense of beat. The consequence of insufficient steady beat experiences in early years can result in poor physical coordination, halting speech (in some cases, stuttering), and even weakness in thought flow. Would you have imagined that something so apparently a strictly musical characteristic can have such bearing on so many areas of our functioning?!
You could invite your whole family to march around your living room or throughout the house. The leader may want to proudly carry a “baton” (even a wooden spoon is great!). If you march to Radetsky's march, notice the volume changes, and encourage your leader to adjust his movements to reflect the different sound levels (Wiggles and Giggles home activity book - online). Have fun taking turns with leaders or providing different instruments for the "band" to play as you march!
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