The steady diet beat of “Pizza, Pickle, Pumpernickel” helps children learn how to read. Of course, we are talking about the children’s nursery rhyme, not the food! Being able to move the entire body to a steady beat contributes to the ability to speak and read fluidly. In fact, children who can keep a steady beat independently score higher on reading assessments.
In this lap bounce version from Kindermusik@Home, even the youngest children can experience steady beat throughout their entire bodies. The more children experience steady beat with the help of a grown-up, the more likely they will be able to keep a steady beat independently. This steady beat activity works for older children, too. Try clapping hands to the beat or bouncing a favorite stuffed animal. As an added bonus to this music activity for kids, fingerplays improve and advance memory and language skills by linking motions to words.