Product Description
In Kodály Today, Mícheál Houlahan and Philip Tacka offer an expertly-researched, thorough, and – most importantly – practical approach to transforming curriculum goals into tangible, achievable musical objectives and effective lesson plans. Their model – grounded in the latest research in music perception and cognition – outlines the concrete practices behind constructing effective teaching portfolios, selecting engaging music repertoire for the classroom, and te… More >>
Kodály Today: A Cognitive Approach to Elementary Music Education
Tags: Approach, Cognitive, cognitive approach, curriculum goals, education, effective teaching, Elementary, elementary music education, houlahan, kodaly, music, music perception, music repertoire, perception and cognition, portfolios, Today
#1 by J.B. on April 6, 2010 - 11:21 am
My first music teaching job straight out of college ended up being primarily with elementary music, which I was not expecting. I had some experience with Kodaly during college, but not enough to have built a strong resource book. I did, however, have enough knowledge to know where to look.
This book really helped me save my elementary music classes – they loved this approach and and so did I. The book was easy enough to navigate to find what information I needed (and wanted), and get what was necessary to put it to use. When I used materials and approaches from this book, my students were actively engaged, participating, and by the time they left my classroom to return to their homeroom (we had a rotational schedule), they were worn out.
I only read chunks and used what I needed, as the book was excessively detailed and overwhelming to someone with little to no experience with Kodaly methods..and for a first year teacher, time is hard to find to read a huge textbook.
I will say, though I didn’t get through it all by the end of the school year, and with little experience in Kodaly, most of my elementary kids could read, recognize, and perform basic music notation.
It is well worth the money.
Rating: 5 / 5
#2 by Corrie Box on April 6, 2010 - 11:45 am
“Kodaly Today” articulates a contemporary process of philosophy and pedagogy which started with Zoltan Kodaly. It raises the level of expectation for both the student and the teacher for personal musicianship and artistry. The practical information is an invaluable tool for the teacher to engage and equip the next generation of American musicians. “Kodaly Today” will be considered the definitive work of music education for the 21st century. It will be the Kodaly process of tomorrow.
Rating: 5 / 5
#3 by Loren M. Green on April 6, 2010 - 1:02 pm
This book saved my life! After trying for years to come up with complete, meaningful, motivational, interesting lessons for my music students and ending up with scatter-brained, piece-milled lessons, I was introduced to this book by Tacka and Houlahan. I am finishing up my certification in Kodaly this year and have really come to embrace this book under their guidance. I like to call it “The Bible”. Away from the guidance of Tacka and Houlahan I am able to use this as a carefully indexed tool to create an entire year’s curriculum. The lessons are thorough, sequential, and developmentally appropriate. My students have really come to embrace the consistency, but look forward to all the new material!
Rating: 5 / 5
#4 by Susan M. Barnhart on April 6, 2010 - 3:57 pm
This book is such an indepth look at how to use Kodaly’s theories in the US title 1 inner city school. The thing I love the most about this book is the yearly layout for lesson plans from the 1st grade through 6th grade. This is going to be a wonderful tool as I begin to utilize a curriculum mapping program with my school.
Rating: 5 / 5
#5 by Monique Salinas-Stauffer on April 6, 2010 - 5:35 pm
What a wonderful book! Kodaly Today is a resource no music educator or children’s choir director should be without. Clearly written and practical in nature, the book is backed up by years of research, experience, and collaboration between two of the leading scholars/educators in the field. This book is filled with lesson plans, teaching strategies, ideas, and suggestions, all field tested in a variety of educational settings. The book also contains a wealth of quality repertoire and listening suggestions for each unit. Each unit is sequentially based, and embraces the idea that singing is the basis for the musical classroom. This is a book that will gather no dust on your bookshelf, but will instead be used day after day and year after year in your planning and classroom. Whether you are new to the Kodaly methodalogy or a seasoned veteran, the book is an invaluable investment! I highly recommend it!
Rating: 5 / 5