Submitted by Caryn Mears, Kennewick, Washington
Idea posted April 13, 2004
I have laminated cards with rhythmic notes written on them. I put up two to four cards at a time, and I leave them on the board for a week. Each day the students come into the room, we solve the rhythm of the week. I start with a very basic rhythm at the beginning of the year, such as four quarter notes, and now we are now up to sixteenth notes. I've been able to incorporate a repeat sign and tempo into this rhythm by adding pitches and having the students clap and say the rhythm with me. I also have a mystery melody on another section of the board. Often I will try to have the first two measures of the mystery melody match the rhythm of the week. It is amazing to have the first graders clapping and saying (singing) "Tic-ca, tic-ca tah, tic-ca, tic-ca tah, tic-ca, tic-ca ti ti tah!" They love solving the rhythm each week, and the second time that I see them, we go through it again as if it were new. The students get a kick out of the fact that they have repeated the rhythm so beautifully.