This presentation by Dr. Marilyn Brouette is for the International Music Education conference in Baku Azerbaijan in July 2018. The topic is language and literacy in the Kodaly Music Classroom. American folk songs are source material to demonstrate music and language literacy strategies.

1. Music and Language Literacy
Dr. Marilyn Brouette
International Society of Music Education
Baku, Azerbaijan
July 16, 2018

2. Purpose of Presentation
Explain the efficacy of music education and language development
Present teaching strategies to create music and language connections
Share song material that improves language literacy
Demonstrate singing games that reinforce language skills
Sabahiniz xeyhir

3. How does music nurture language development?
Music positively impacts neuro-development
Music strengthens language processing center of the brain

4. Teaching Strategies
SOLFEGE: Aural training, particularly in the Kodaly method of music education
has been found to aid in the neuroplasticity of cognitive function. Solmization aids
in the child’s ability to distinguish similar and contrasting consonant and vowel
sounds. Such ability is a tool for neural plasticity and results in the distinction of
sound and processing of language.

5. Teaching Strategies
RHYTHMIC DICTATION: Organizing sound and recognizing patterns by clapping
and transcribing rhythm directly translates to the language skill of decoding words
and understanding phonetics.

6. Song Material: “Happy Song”
Language Literacy Element: Identify and decode the vowel
Song Source: Navajo Tradition
Song: Happy Song
Music Concept: Beat
Activity: Sit in a circle and pass a
cube on the second beat of every
measure.

7. Song Material: “Bingo”
Language Literacy Element: Contrasting Consonant distinction
Song Source: American Folk Song
Song: Bingo

8. What are Consonant Blends?
A consonant blend (also called a consonant cluster) is a group of two or three consonants in words
that makes a distinct consonant sound, such as bl, br, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr, pl, pr, qu, sc, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp,
st, sw, tr, and tw. (You hear two sounds)
A digraph is a single sound, or phoneme, that is represented by two letters. A trigraph is a phoneme
that consists of three letters. (You hear one sound)
Consonant digraphs include ch, ck, gh, kn, mb, ng, ph, sh, th, wh, and wr. Some of these create a new
sound, as in ch, sh, and th. Some, however, are just different spellings for already familiar sounds. Some
consonants have “silent partners”: for example gh is a different spelling for “f” and mb is “m” while wr is still
the “r” sound. (You hear one sound)

9. Song Material: “Charlie Over the Ocean”
Language Literacy Element: Consonant blend distinction (Digraph)
Song Source: American Folk Song
Song: “Charlie Over the Ocean” (Strategy Demonstration: Conversation)
Music Concept: Low
“So”
Activity: Students sit
in a circle and one
student is the song
leader and skips
around the circle. At
the end of the song,
he touches the head
of the student where
he is standing and
that student is now
the song leader.
Teacher: What will Charlie catch?
Student: A dolphin
Teacher: What color dolphin?
Student: A blue dolphin

10. Song Material: “Apple Tree”
Language Literacy Element: Consonant Blend, Comprehension
Song Source: American Folk Song
Song: Apple Tree (Singing Game Demonstration)
Music Concept: “So - Mi”
(Minor Third)
Activity: Two students
(Trees) make an arch and
the other students (Apples)
go through the arch as they
sing. When “knock me out”
is sung, the trees bring
down their arms and catch
the apple who grabs the
hand of the apple behind
him and makes an arch and
the game continues until all
the apples become trees.

11. Song Material: “Alabama Gal”
Language Literacy Element: Digraph, Comprehension
Song Source: American Folk Song
Song: Apple Tree (Singing Game Demonstration)
Music Concepts: Major Third,
Syncopation
Activity: Students face each other
in two parallel lines. The head
couple holds hands and quickly
side steps down the alley and back
to the front. On “I don’t know how
how”, they gesture twice with palms
upward. Then, go back down the
alley and the next couple repeats
the song and dance until all
couples have had a turn.

12. Song Material: “Canoe Song”
Language Literacy Element: Enunciation
Song Source: American Folk Song
Song: Canoe Song (Strategy Demonstration: Singing through consonants)
Music Concept: “D La” (d minor), syncopation
Activity: Students find a partner with their
elbow. Then, each student swings their paddle
twice to the left and twice to the right for the
duration of the song. Then, the students clap
four beats of rest and they find another partner
and repeat.

13. Review
Explained the efficacy of music education and language development
Presented teaching strategies to create music and language connections
Shared song material that improves language literacy
Demonstrated singing games that reinforce language skills
Sağol

14. Contact Information
Thank you for participating in this workshop. You may download the materials
from slideshare. Here is the link:
My contact information is Dr. Marilyn Brouette mbrouette@csdo.org
A special thank you to Dr. Pam Stover for facilitating this workshop.