How to help 7 year old with no rhythm

[CTVKath]

How would you help a 7 year old with no sense of rhythm? We've listened to lots of music through the years and I'm finally realizing she doesn't have rhythm. She can balance fine - was on a pedal bike with no training wheels at 5. Climbs trees and stands on her head but cannot jump rope or hop in time. Then yesterday I tried some clapping in time with her and she can't clap in time as in can't clap her hands to counts of 1-2-3-4. I'm befuddled with realizing this.

 

I've ordered rhythm sticks and some preschool music to go with it. And I'll keep working with clapping. Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

Thanks!!

[misty.warden]

Maybe a metronome? I dunno, my husband is 25 and still cant clap in rhythm or keep tempo singing with a group, some people aren't very musical that way.

 

 

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[IsabelC]

I think that what you're already doing sounds great.
Marching in time is also a good thing to practice: you can incorporate it into games, too, so that she won't perceive it as music practice.  
Have you tried clapping words and sentences? Some kids find it easier to clap "Em-ma is a cle-ver girl!" or "Sam likes choc'-late cake!" than clapping to the count. Also you can do the game where you take turns clapping or tapping a nursery rhyme and the other person has to guess what it is. (This is actually surprisingly difficult, even for older kids, so you might like to start with, say, three different nursery rhymes to distinguish between, rather than a free choice.) Also movement games like Hokey Pokey are good.

But do bear in mind that some children just take a lot longer to develop their senses of pitch and rhythm than others though, so it may still take a while.  (One of my daughters took until about age 10 before she could manage the same stuff her sister was doing by age 1 to 2.) I have read that there do exist people who are incapable of rhythm, but apparently that is extremely rare, so it's far more likely that your child is simply one of those who takes a little longer to develop her sense of rhythm. 

Edited October 9, 2016 by IsabelC

[knitgrl]

Our daughter is almost 7 and has very little sense of beat. So, it is something I have tried to incorporate into our Music studies. We have been clapping to the beat and alternately to the rhythm of Hickory Dickory Dock for a month (about once a week). She's shown a little improvement. Below are some resources I've found on the topic that might be useful to you.

 

http://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/rhythm-and-beat/

 

https://musiconnx.wordpress.com/2011/09/22/developmental-progression-of-steady-beat/

 

http://musickit.com/resources/beat3.html

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If someone has no natural rhythm they can learn it but it has to be almost daily practice :)

[SilverMoon]

Dancing. Step and/or style to the music. My not so musical kids picked it up from dancing. They compete in west coast swing, where being on time is just as important as doing your basic step patterns correctly.

[CTVKath]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Unbelievably, IsabelC's suggestion to clap with words and sentences worked! My daughter can do that! We were doing names: "I love _______" and did everyone's name in the family. Then we tried "please pass the veggie straws" and with other foods. Then just the words to the "Jesus Loves Me" song. So thank you, thank you! We can build off of this.

[The Governess]

Also, tap class is great for learning rhythm.

[calbear]

I am going to suggest an app called Magic Piano which is free. Others worth considering Rhythm Cat and RhythmTraining. This is more challenging, but really really well done...ReadRhythm.

[kbutton]

My son has rhythm, but he doesn't always have the ability to put motor movements with it. This is true of both my kids, actually. My first kiddo used to pound on his high chair in rhythm to the music on the radio, but he can't jump rope unless someone else is turning the rope. I think he could learn over time, but it's not really his thing.

 

My younger one's rhythm is actually amazing (per piano lessons)--it's the motor component that glitches up immensely. My older kiddo is somewhere in between--I suspect it's part of executive function difficulties. He actually has more limitations, but he's more patient about trying, failing, and being persistent.

 

Both of them found it helpful to do exercises intended to integrate retained primitive reflexes and/or crossbody coordination (crossing the midline). 

 

If you hit a wall at some point with what you're trying, take some level of complexity out of the task a piece at a time, and then build back up to it.

[dragonflyer]

A couple of other things that we have worked with: can she echo a rhythm pattern?  It can be done vocally or clapping, but you would start: bu-bu-bu and she copies.  The bubu-bubu, this is also something they can invent and you have to echo back.

It could also help to work on dance choreography.  You could build the dance together or find one you want to learn on youtube.  Even the chicken dance is a great starting place.

[PeterPan]

Well both my kids had rhythm issues and both have ADHD diagnoses.  My dd's rhythm issues were mild, like just sort of odd.  She couldn't keep time with a metronome on piano, that kind of thing.  We did Heathermomster's metronome exercises, and she was fine.  You can go over to LC to find them.  

 

My ds has ADHD but also ASD, and hence, theoretically, much more severe EF (executive function) issues.  It's the EF portion of the brain where rhythm, etc. should be controlled.  For him, he had NOTHING, like not even a single clap.  He would go instantly to hyper-clap.  For him I had to start hand over hand, just focusing on clapping.  I laid out an alphabet puzzle and we'd go through the top row (A-H, whatever), hand over hand.  When he could get through that, we added more.  To control that was HARD!  

 

Rhythm sticks are good.  Whole body is good.  With balls is good.  BalavisX is a good program for this.  I'd back up and see what skills she *does* have and then move forward.  I wouldn't be terribly considered about beating out waltz time at age 7, but it *would* be a-typical not to be able to clap a specified number of times, kwim?  So is she able to clap 3 times if you say clap?  If she can clap, but she's off, then I would do things for overall rhythm.  With my ds we'll take a therapy ball and bounce it back and forth.  It gets in a rhythm.  BalavisX focuses on rhythm.  

[Dmmetler]

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/496612-calling-heathermomster-or-another-metronome-guru/?hl=%2Brhythm&do=findComment&comment=6709191

 

#12 in this thread is my summary on teaching beat bonding-the whole thread is likely to be useful.

[bluedarling]

My boys did Interactive Metronome in their vision therapy.  However, now I notice it can be used at home, as well (http://www.imhome.org/).  Basically the interactive metronome just gives visual feedback to let the individual know if they were ahead of the beat, on the beat, or behind the beat.    My oldest has great rythm, now.  The younger son could still use more work with this, but is greatly improved.