Rhythmic speech is ESSENTIAL.
Well-planned elementary music lessons strike a healthy balance between many experiences that includes rhythmic speech activities. Experiencing rhythm patterns outside the context of moving pitches helps students develop steady beat and timekeeping while gaining exposure to a variety of rhythmic patterns or phrases. In the same way that singing helps to build pitch memory and interval relationships, students build a rhythmic vocabulary through continuous practice.
Rhythmic speech is POWERFUL.
They can be used to introduce or reinforce musical concepts, build rhythmic vocabulary, and
help students develop a stronger sense of beat in a variety of applications.
Rhythmic speech is CREATIVE.
The poetic nature of speech pieces can ignite the imagination and creativity in students, inspiring them to make
changes and revisions, or create completely new content to add to the existing rhythm poem.
Rhythmic speech is UNIVERSAL.
All cultures use speech in rhythmic ways, and every person has a natural tendency to
express themselves rhythmically through both sound and movement.
Rhythmic speech is NATURAL.
Starting in infancy, it's a natural desire to make simple rhythmic sounds, and
rhythmic vocalization is a form of expression we use throughout our lives.
Rhythmic speech is RELEVANT.
When the topic connects to students’ everyday lives, it engages them while deepening their understanding of the
world around them. When they modify the existing rhythm poem with their own ideas, the content
becomes more personal, which gives the student more ownership of the learning experience.
Rhythmic speech is LITERATE.
Developing steady beat can improve reading fluency in children. Repeated exposure to words helps them gain vocabulary,
and repetition helps children learn new words. Expressing or acting out those words also enhances the learning of the words themselves.
Rhythmic speech is ACCESSIBLE.
Speech pieces equalize the learning experience, allowing students who have reservations about other musical activities
like singing to feel successful and be on equal footing with their peers when sharing ideas and collaborating.
This can strengthen their confidence and open the door to other musical experiences.
Rhythmic speech is PRACTICAL
They require minimal resources and materials, and very easy to use in a mobile teaching situation.
You can take them with you anywhere!
Rhythmic speech is FLEXIBLE.
Rhythmic speech is adaptable to every teacher’s instructional scenario, and there’s always plenty of room
to expand beyond the intended design and content.