Young Children - March 2008 - (Page 23) explore pattern and one-to-one correspondence. They can use these three music components, alone or in combination, to create simple or complex patterns in developmentally appropriate ways. A Beat and Rhythm Experience Let’s examine the familiar E-I-E-I-O of “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.” 1. Tap your feet (or heels) to the steady beat. 2. Now say E-I-E-I-O. Saying each letter to a beat is a good start. 3. Now try saying E-I-E-I-O, and tap only on the Es and the O. 4. You may notice that you are saying E-I on the first beat, E-I on the second beat, and O as the third. Your foot taps are the steady beat. 5. The E-I-E-I-O that you chant is the rhythm. Rhythm Beat E-I 1 E-I 2 O 3 — 4 Tempo, dynamics, timbre, and style Other elements of music are tempo, dynamics, timbre, and style. Tempo refers to speed (beats per minute), dynamics relates to volume, and timbre involves the quality of the sound. Someone might describe the timbre of a tambourine as a high ringing sound or the sound of beating a drum as “dry.” The style of a song usually involves the specific music genre (jazz, country, rock’n’roll, folk, hip-hop, and many more). Young children enjoy many kinds of music, and as they get older, they like to compare different styles of music. How are rock’n’roll and country music different? How are they the same? Do they have the same steady beat? rhythm? melody? Is there a specific rhythmic pattern that makes the style distinctive? What about the timbre? Think about these elements and their effects the next time you listen to your favorite music. Note that Beat 4 is felt and tapped. It is a rest before continuing the song. Music experiences to promote emergent mathematics Including music as part of the early childhood curriculum can support young children’s learning (Frank 1996; Livingston & Fenton 1998; Perret & Fox 2006). Let’s see how to apply the different elements of music to create interactive experiences that promote young children’s mathematical thinking. With five-month-old Julie in her lap, Maria sings “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to her daughter. Julie gazes intently at her mother’s face. She bursts into smile and excitedly kicks when Maria finishes the song. © Karen Phillips Music is one of children’s first forms of communication and often is their first interaction with mathematics. Maria probably sang the song to Julie with distinctive steady beat and rhythm, emphasizing the strong beats of 1 and 2 in the song. She may have even tapped Julie’s hand or rocked her to the beat. Julie, now 13 months old, hears a familiar song, “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” playing on the CD player at her toddler program. She takes the jingle bell bracelets from a nearby shelf and puts them on her wrists. Marching around a table, Julie shakes the bells with a beat and rhythm that roughly matches the song. Occasionally she sings along, using both recognizable and unrecognizable words. Music is one of children’s first forms of communication and often is their first interaction with mathematics. As a toddler, Julie now links the song she heard as an infant to action. Her marching and singing indicate a beginning understanding of patterning and one-to-one Young Children • March 2008 23
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