Hand-Clapping for Child Development
Clap Yourself Happy
Dr. Idit Sulkin, a researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Israel, recently conducted a study on children hand-clapping to songs, in order to determine why they are fascinated by singing and clapping up until about third grade, and if there is a direct link between hand-clapping and the development of certain skills.
"We found that children in the first, second, and third grades who sing these songs demonstrate skills absent in children who don't take part in similar activities," she says. "We also found that children who spontaneously perform hand-clapping songs in the yard during recess have neater handwriting, write better, and make fewer spelling errors."
Music psychologist Dr. Warren Brodsky says the findings could mean that children who don't participate in these activities may be at higher risk for learning problems like dyslexia and dyscalculia.
The study found that hand-clapping song activities have a positive effect on adults, as well. University students who took part in hand-clapping became more focused and less tense. "These techniques are associated with childhood, and many adults treat them as a joke," she says. "But once they start clapping, they report feeling more alert and in a better mood."
