Most students started with us in mid 2023, and they are flourishing in their learning. Having built a repertoire of simple songs and games in year one, we can revisit them, but with a new lens and more challenging activities. Because they have experienced five terms of a fun dynamic programme, they come primed to learn, to test themselves and to try hard. Students coming from other schools, joining the classroom having not experienced the programme, are being kindly and naturally mentored by the other children.

Singing skills are well developed with most students confident to sing on their own and most singing very accurately. They are reading two notes with hand signs, solfa and on the staff.

Usually in the Kodály approach, we would have introduced simple rhythm reading before formally introducing notes, but the prerequisite skills needed for pitch were present while the rhythmic skills need more development. We’ve been switching between rhythm and beat, and challenging the children to play the rhythm while another child plays the beat. When this is solid, we will move on to formally introduce the rhythms.

It is easy as a teacher to want to rush into introducing formal concepts, but it is worth waiting until the prerequisite skills are solid, in order for the learning to be holistic, thorough and solid.

Next steps are recognising how many sounds on a beat, and transferring this to writing, performing and composing music.