Directions to Literacy
Directions to Literacy: Teaching the Older Beginner, by Ann Eisen and Lamar Robertson, is a useful resource kit (Teacher book and reproducible student pages) to more effectively educate students about music literacy in grades 4 – 6.
This teaching sequence is aimed at teaching beginning music materials to upper elementary students in less time than it takes to teach the same materials to younger children. The sequence includes beat, rhythm, ta, ti-ti, rest, tiri-tiri, ti-tiri, tiri-ti, and single eighth note rhythms. It also includes 2/4 and 4/4-time signatures, and the melodic patterns of mi-re-do, low la-low sol, sol and la, and the do pentatonic scale.
Songs are age appropriate and appealing to the upper elementary student, but also have pedagogical value. The spiral-bound teacher's manual contains chapters that explain the new teaching sequence as presented in the student workbook.
Almost eighty songs are included in a Song Appendix. Songs may be reproduced for students. Precise suggestions are given for teaching each element through preparation (physical and/or aural and/or visual), presentation, and practice.
| Author | Eisen, Ann Robertson, Lamar |
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Straight forward and accessible
This is very straight forward and easy to adapt. I think it might be a little more challenging to navigate if you have absolutely no familiarity with Kodaly lesson planning. Fun song selection but a few options are too obviously drinking songs and such for me to use with my kids. There are plenty of options however within each unit and the fact that you can copy the mystic for your classes makes this a very cost effective resource!
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A great bridge
This book has excellent resources for the Kodaly classroom. It's scope and sequence gives an age appropriate introduction of fundamental musical content for older elementary students. I was a little surprised that they focus on MRD instead of SML, but it's fine with me, I'll just roll with it and I'm sure my students will be great. This is an expensive resource, but it is worth every penny.