Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Creative Uses For Rhythm Sticks

By Lora Jones


Whether you have young children in your home or are responsible for teaching a group of them in a preschool situation, rhythm sticks can be a great learning tool. Kids will have fun discovering their many uses, and you will be pleased at how easy they are to create. They are a must-have item for any educational environment.

Numerous locations, such as music stores and educational supply chains, have rhythm sticks available if you want to buy ones that are already assembled. They can often be bought in bulk for very reasonable rates, and great deals can be found, particularly if you check their online locations. For large groups, this is an easy option that will have you using your new tools in no time.

If you want a more personal touch, however, you will find that kids love the opportunity to assemble their own sets. The materials are inexpensive, and the assembly is very easy, so even young classes should have no trouble with a bit of help from you. All you will need for each set is a stick and whatever decorations you deem appropriate.

When assembling your own custom set, you may want to have the children who will be using them do most of the work so that they can be proud of the end result. Kids will love choosing their favorite colors and patterns to come up with a unique result. Involving them in this step will make them feel special every time they are used for an exercise.

If you would like to have a few sets that sound just a little bit different, you can vary the basic assembly a bit to achieve this effect. The dowels themselves can be cut into slightly different lengths and widths to produce various different tones when they are struck, and you can also wrap cloth around parts of them to change their effects. Try a few varied combinations and see what you can come up with.

After the assembly of this project, rhythm sticks can be used in multiple different types of exercises. Many of the uses you will find for them will, naturally, be musical in nature, but they will have the added benefits of improving and testing pattern recognition and memory. For instance, you can start by tapping out a simple rhythm and asking them to play it back to you.

You can also play music with a basic beat and help students tap along with it. Having different types of surfaces available that they can safely tap to hear changes in tone is another great method. This is a very effective way to get them interested in picking up a musical instrument, because they will see how fun it can be!

In the ongoing search for fun, effective, and versatile teaching tools, rhythm sticks are a resource that should not be underestimated. With very little investment required, you and your students can be learning and having fun in no time. They will love how many things can be done with them, and you will love how easy they are to incorporate into the classroom.




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