The Comparative Effectiveness of Teaching Beat Detection through Movement and Singing among Kindergarten Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if beat detection and beat competency (i.e. maintaining a steady beat) could be more effectively taught through movement, singing, or a combination of the two. Subjects (N =102) were kindergarten students from an elementary school in the Southwest. Students completed a pretest and posttest to assess beat detection ability; the test measured their ability to tap a steady beat with and without music. Subjects received instruction in one of three methods for a six-week period: singing, movement, or a combination of the two. Data analysis results revealed a significant (p < .05) difference between the pretest and the posttest scores for all three groups; subjects appeared to show progress in the ability to detect and maintain a beat with all three instructional methods. There was no significant difference, however, in the progress between the groups; each method of instruction yielded similar improvement.