Your Child Will Learn
That music has different speeds (tempos)
Here’s What to Do
- Play some music, perhaps while in the car. Hand your child a tissue and tell them to wave the tissue to the speed of the music.
- Talk about whether the music is fast or slow. Notice whether their tissue movements match the song.
- Try alternating songs between slow and fast beats and see if your child can change their movements to match.
Put PEER Into Action
PAUSE
- Shake your arms and move them fast. Now move your arms slowly through the air. Still your arms and take a deep breath.
ENGAGE
- “Let’s notice the tempo of this song. Is this song fast or slow?”
- “How would you wave your tissue to match this song’s fast tempo?”
ENCOURAGE
- Clap along to the song’s beat to make the speed more noticeable.
- “Hmmm… I’m noticing a fast beat in this song but you’re moving slowly. Do you think you can make your hand match the song?”
REFLECT
- Where else could you play the fast and slow game?
Not Quite Ready
Guide your child’s hand to help them feel the difference between fast and slow.
Ready for More
Give your child a rhythm “instrument” (like a pot and a spoon to make a drum or a container filled with rice to make a maraca). See if they can match the beats of a fast and a slow song with their instrument.
As Your Child Masters This Skill
They will understand how to listen for a song’s tempo and how to move their body to match
Time to Complete
10-15 minutes
Materials Needed
A music player, a tissue