Synopses & Reviews
Since the mid-twentieth century, Zoltán Kodály's child-developmental philosophy for teaching music has had significant positive impact on music education around the world, and is now at the core of music teaching in the United States and other English speaking countries.
Kodály in the Kindergarten Classroom is the first comprehensive handbook to update and apply the Kodály concepts to teaching music in early childhood classrooms.
Kodály in the Kindergarten Classroom provides teachers with a step-by-step road map for developing children's performance, creative movement, and literacy skills in an organic and thoughtful manner. Through six years of field-testing with music kindergarten teachers in the United States, Great Britain, and Hungary (the home country of Zoltán Kodály), authors Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka have developed a methodology specifically for 21st century classrooms. Houlahan and Tacka use the latest research findings in cognition and perception to create a system not only appropriate for kindergarteners' particular developmental stages but also one which integrates vertically between kindergarten and elementary music classes. The methods outlined in this volume encourage greater musical ability and creativity in children by teaching kindergarteners to sing, move, play instruments, and develop music literacy skills. In addition, Kodály in the Kindergarten Classroom promotes critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills. Although the book uses the Kodály philosophy, its methodology has also been tested by teachers certified in Orff and Dalcroze, and has proven an essential guide for teachers no matter what their personal philosophy and specific training might be.
Over 100 children's books are incorporated into Kodály in the Kindergarten Classroom, as well as 35 detailed lesson plans that demonstrate how music and literacy curriculum goals are transformed into tangible musical objectives. Scholarly yet practical and accessible, this volume is sure to be an essential guide for kindergarten and early childhood music teachers everywhere.
About the Author
Drs. Micheál Houlahan and
Philip Tacka are co-authors of:
Kodály Today: A Cognitive Approach to Elementary MMusic
usic Education and
From Sound to Symbol: Fundamentals of Music published by Oxford University Press, the Sound Thinking Series published by Boosey and Hawkes including
Music for Sight-Singing and
Ear Training Volumes I and II and
Sound Thinking: Developing Musical Literacy Volumes I and II,
Zoltán Kodály: A Guide to Research (Garland Publishing Inc.), and numerous articles published both here and abroad. Both have presented papers both nationally and internationally on aspects of music theory, music history and Kodály studies and perception and cognition. They are faculty members for the Kodály Certification Program at the University of Texas.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One
Developing a Music Repertoire of Songs and Books for the Kindergarten Music Classroom
Chapter Two
Building the Framework of a Kindergarten Music Curriculum
Chapter Three
Developing Creative Expression Through Singing, Movement, and Playing Instruments
Chapter Four
A Model of Learning and Instruction for Teaching Music Concepts and Skills
Chapter Five
Teaching Music Concepts in Kindergarten
Chapter Six
Cultivating Music Skills and Creativity
Chapter Seven
Sequencing and Lesson Planning
Chapter Eight
Assessment and Evaluation in Kindergarten
Chapter Nine
Organizing Your Teaching Resources for the Kindergarten Classroom
Appendix 1: Songs and Related Children's Literature for the Early Childhood and Kindergarten Classroom
Appendix 2: Alphabetized List of Children's Literature
Appendix 3: Children's Literature Related to Music Concepts for the Early Childhood and Kindergarten Classroom
Appendix 4: Monthly Plans