Submitted by Becky Olson, Union Grove, Wisconsin

Idea posted November 1, 2002

I have a game that I play with my kindergarten classes. I ask them to watch me carefully and copy everything that I do. I begin tapping index fingers together like rhythm sticks, and they copy me. After I have them all watching and tapping with me, I throw my fingers up in the air suddenly - sort of a modified "rest" motion. It startles them and they laugh. I tell them to keep watching, because I might try to trick them. From then on, everyone watches, and of course they get lots of praise because they "are so good at this game, that I just can't trick you!" It gets them to tap the beat and also to realize that they have to watch me. I figure it is good training for watching the conductor!

Today I reviewed this game with my first graders, who had done it last year. I asked them if they knew what I was doing when I tapped like that, and they quickly responded "showing the beat." We talked about how you can feel the beat, play the beat, tap the beat. I asked them if you could see the beat, and they all said "NO!" Just what I wanted!

I pulled out 8 cards (half sheets of card stock) with a large ta symbol on each one. I lined them up on the chalk tray, and told them to say "ta" each time my pointer touched a card. They easily read 8 beats of quarter notes. Then I pulled out 8 more cards, each with a quarter rest symbol on it. I replaced the last ta with a rest, and we talked about how I had put my hands up in the tapping game, and that the rest card was like that in our written pattern. They were able to read it perfectly. Then I started calling kids up one at a time and giving them a rest card... telling them that they could take out any ta and replace it with the rest card. Lots of talk about not making it "too hard" for their friends, etc. We tried mixing up the cards and having them draw and put the cards on the board. They fell into it so perfectly. Within this 10 minute section of the class time, they were able to read 8 beats of rhythm in any combination of notes and rests.

They left wanting to know if we could "play with" those cards again next time. Next time we'll set up 16 beats of rhythm, and the time after that I will turn them loose on the floor with craft sticks to make their own ta and rest rhythms. It was a great day!