Thanks to the steady beat of our hearts, we are created to respond to a steady beat. It’s probably why we can’t help but tap our feet or nod our heads along to the beat of the music we hear.
The ability to consciously recognize and demonstrate steady beat, however, takes practice. In our early childhood music classes and early childhood curriculum, we help young children, including at-risk students, to develop steady beat by leading children to move their bodies to a beat, play instruments, clap their hands, or even walk, jump, and tiptoe to a steady beat.