Kodály in the Fourth Grade Classroom: Developing the Creative Brain in the 21st Century (Kodaly Today Handbook Series) - Hardcover

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. The Kodály Today handbook series is the first comprehensive system to update and apply the Kodály concepts to teaching music in elementary school classrooms.

Kodály in the Fourth Grade 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 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 the developmental stages of fourth graders but also one which integrates vertically between elementary music classes. The methods outlined in this volume encourage greater musical ability and creativity in children by teaching them to sing, move, play instruments, and develop music literacy skills. In addition, Kodály in the Fourth Grade 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 Fourth Grade 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 elementary music teachers everywhere.

Drs. Micheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka are co-authors of: Kodály Today: A Cognitive Approach to Elementary MMusicusic Education and From Sound to Symbol: Fundamentals of Music published by Oxford University Press, the Sound Thinking Series published by Boosey & Hawkes including Music for Sight-Singing and Ear Training Volumes I & II and Sound Thinking: Developing Musical Literacy Volumes I & 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.