This research investigates early classroom music education and its current state of affairs at the Dutch primary schools, motivated by the question: “What kind of music education is needed at the primary schools in the Netherlands for children aged 4-6 to be able to develop foundational music skills?”.
Well, it is one thing to find the perfect music education, but it really is quite another to see how this might be realised at the Dutch primary schools today…
This research shows that what enables children to develop foundational music skills, is an education program covering all basic elements of music, according to the children’s developmental stage, thoroughly training rhythmic, singing and listening skills through playful activities and movement. Since years, Kodály education has been especially successful in this.
However, Dutch primary education mostly does not seem to meet the above requirements, and in addition, the set learning goals for music are generally vague and at times aimed way too high when considering the quality of the teaching program.
How then could music education be improved and properly integrated into the curriculum? From my perspective as a musician as well as a graduating primary school teacher, I find this an interesting question. Can music education remain of good quality if it is made subject to external requirements?
Following this theory-based research, I have developed a music lesson series suitable for early classroom education, which I will be showing during my presentation.
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(last entry by Ellie Nimeroski - 21/02/2023 at 16:25)