Musical and Cognitive Development from Kodály Group Singing in Early Elementary

In most elementary schools, general musical skill training involves an instrument such as a recorder, does not start until third grade, and seeks only modest musical goals. Instead, this session will present the Kodály group singing program, which builds on the natural instrument of the voice and on children's natural engagement with music. Beginning as a regular component of the curriculum when the student first enters school, the group singing program develops significant skill at making music, both individually and collectively, and at reading music. Gardiner and Silverberg will discuss evidence that this program is associated not only with continuing musical growth, but also with improved academic and social skills when compared with students who do not participate. In fact, the most significant impact is found in those students who are at greatest academic risk. The program’s success has led to consistent expansion over a decade in the Cambridge, MA public school system.