What To Teach in September: Steady Beat

September is the perfect time to introduce and reinforce steady beat in your pre-kindergarten and kindergarten music classes. Steady beat is the foundation for understanding rhythm, tempo, and meter, making it an important concept to establish early in the school year. Here are three fun activities for teaching steady beat in September!

Move To The Beat is a sitting movement song with a steady beat. This is a calm way for students to get out their wiggles while practicing keeping. a steady pulse.

The ABCs song is a great way to practice steady beat because it’s a song that most children already know and feel comfortable singing. Since they’re familiar with the melody and words, they can focus their attention on feeling and keeping the steady beat through clapping, tapping, marching, or patting. It’s a simple, low-pressure way to reinforce the concept while using a song they already love.

As September comes to a close and you begin transitioning into fall and Halloween-themed activities, it’s the perfect time to introduce “Five Perfect Pumpkins.” This fun song is a great way to reinforce the steady beat while getting students excited for the season. Have students pat their laps or tap a drum along with the beat—but get ready to SPLAT! 🎃

*PCS stands for Picture Communication Symbols. These symbols are visual supports that help people with speech, language, and communication difficulties.