Young Children - March 2008 - (Page 21) Even very young children can inherently respond to music and the mathematical constructs it contains. Hasan & Thaut 2004). For example, it is very difficult for children to not move to the beat when they hear a song or an instrument such as a drum being played. If they don’t actually move their bodies, many times they will stop what they are doing and look toward the sound or move closer to try to play the instrument. This indicates that even very young children can inherently respond to music and the mathematical constructs it contains. Musical elements Early childhood educators, knowing that math and music share similar inherent characteristics, can use simple musical elements to introduce mathematical concepts, interactions, and ideas to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Yes, even babies are constructing the foundations of mathematics (Butterworth 2005) and can benefit from musical interactions. Some of the first patterning experiences that parents engage in with their babies are through rhythm and music. Rocking and patting usually takes on a rhythmical aspect, as does singing to the baby (Geist 2008). As a teacher, you no doubt already integrate elements of music and mathematics daily. Think of the rhyme “Pattycake” or consider the rhythm that makes predictable books predictable. Young children anticipate a pattern in a story and song, first through the beat and then on into the words. They soon are repeating the language and, with our encouragement, improvising and making additions to the story or song. If teachers can recognize a few musical elements, they can learn to use them to foster young children’s early mathematical thinking. Let’s identify the music elements and explore how they relate to mathematics. ing? For infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, private music instruction on an instrument is rarely developmentally appropriate. However, young children can be exposed to and interact with music in many other ways. Music and the brain Math and music may be related in the brain from very early in life (Weinberger 1998; Begley 2000; Burack 2005). We know, for instance, that music contains numerous mathematical constructs within its basic structure. Musical elements such as steady beat, rhythm, tempo, volume, melody, and harmony possess inherent mathematical concepts such as spatial properties, sequencing, counting, patterning, and one-to-one correspondence. Music seems to be associated with very primal parts of the brain (Holden 1999). Our bodies cannot help but react physiologically to musical input (Thaut & Kenyon 2003; Young Children • March 2008 © Elisabeth Nichols Steady beat Beat or pulse, called “steady beat” in this article, is what we feel or have a physical response to when we hear music. The steady beat is repetitive and evenly spaced. When we tap our toes to music, we are tapping along with the steady beat. Keeping a steady beat can support the construction of the concept of “one.” (See “A Steady Beat Experience.”) Steady beat activities, such as clapping or marching, help children understand numerical relationships, such 21
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