Primary school movement foundations
Hand rhythm activities can tell us a lot about coordination
Rhythm activities look simple, but they can ask the brain and body to do several things at once.
Children may need to listen, remember a pattern, use both sides of the body, keep a steady rhythm and change their movement when the sequence changes.
This makes simple hand rhythm activities useful for movement breaks, transitions and short classroom warm ups.
Some children will need more time than others
A child may understand exactly what you are asking them to do but still find it difficult to organise both hands into the pattern.
Slowing the activity down and repeating the sequence can make the task much more achievable.
What is sitting underneath a rhythm activity?
Bilateral coordination
Both sides of the body need to work together, sometimes doing the same movement and sometimes doing something different.
Sequencing
Children need to remember what comes first, what comes next and when the pattern changes.
Timing
Keeping a rhythm asks children to control when a movement starts and finishes.
Attention
The child needs to watch or listen carefully enough to follow the pattern.
Motor planning
The brain has to organise the movement sequence and send that plan to the hands.
Working memory
Children need to hold the pattern in mind long enough to repeat it.
How I would use this in the classroom
Keep the first pattern very short. Let children watch it several times before expecting them to copy it.
Once the group is comfortable, you can change the speed, add another movement or ask children to create their own rhythm for the class to copy.
The aim is not to catch children out. The value is in giving them repeated opportunities to coordinate, sequence and practise using both sides of their body.