If anyone seems to march to the beat of a different drummer, it's a toddler. But watch your toddler during any music time and you'll see how remarkably capable s/he is of moving in time to the music. It may look awkward, but not only can s/he keep a simple beat, he enjoys it. the toddler years are all about taking chage of one's own body, and moving to the beat is yet another way of saying, "I am the master of my arms and legs!" You may even find your child inventing his own little nonsense songs, complete with his own unique rhythms.Learning to dance in rhythm has some fascinating implications for developing cognitive skills. Rhythms are patterns: some very simple, such as the on-two, one-two of a march, and some much more comples (salsa, anyone?). Although we parents may think that learning how to count is the first math skill we teach our children, learning about patterns is a math skill that begins much earlier. So keep on dancing...One-two, cha-cha-cha.
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