Curriculum

According to the Core Knowledge Foundation, knowledge of the arts is essential to the effective education of a child. Through exposure to fine arts, children grow in their knowledge creatively, historically, and analytically.

Odyssey boasts a rich music program with a foundation in the European based Kodaly method, including an after school choir program.

Classroom Music Instruction: grades K – 6

A classical education that does not include music instruction would be difficult to picture! At Odyssey, all grades (K-6) receive instruction by our music teacher in a dedicated music room.  Click here to view Ms. Perkins’ bio.  Specific details of music instruction by grade is found at Ms. Perkins’ UEN page:http://my.uen.org/myuen/104230.

The Kodaly Method

We chose the Kodaly Method for music instruction at Odyssey because (1) its philosophy dovetails so well with our academic philosophy and (2) the healthy local community of Kodaly teachers and training.

Zoltan Kodaly was a Hungarian composer, educator, and ethnomusicologist. His philosophy of music education led to a highly sequential system of teaching music. The system was developed by those influenced by Kodaly’s vision of music education. Varied pedagogical tools are utilized to reach the central philosophical objective; “Music belongs to everyone and is necessary for health human development”.

Basic philosophy

1. All people capable of lingual literacy are also capable of musical literacy.
2. Singing is the best foundation for musicianship.
3. Music education to be most effective must begin with the very young child.
4. The folk songs of a child’s own linguistic heritage constitute a musical mother tongue and should therefore be the vehicle for all early instruction.
5. Only music of the highest artistic value, both folk and composed, should be used in teaching.
6. Music should be at the heart of the curriculum, a core subject used as a basis for education.

Sequential Approach (child-developmental base)

The Kodaly method is highly structured and sequenced, with well-defined skill and concept hierarchies in every element of music. These sequences are closely related to child development—the way in which young children progress naturally in music. The major body of teaching material must lie within children’s capabilities. However, at all times some musical materials must be included that are designed to expand those capabilities. As the child develops physically, socially, emotionally aesthetically, and intellectually, they are also led to develop musically in the acquisition of increasingly complex skills and more involved concepts.

1. Melody— 3-note songs and chants (la-so-mi), tetra-tonic (so- mi-re-do), and pentatonic (la-so-mi-re-do) songs comprise most of the earliest melodic teaching materials. As voices mature and musical abilities increase, musical materials are extended to include more songs in diatonic major and minor keys, modes, and altered scales.
2. Rhythm—the meter of young children’s movements (walking, running, skipping, swaying, bouncing) is duple, either simple or compound.
3. Form, harmony, tempo, and dynamics are also sequenced into hierarchies so that the young children may experience all aspects of music at their own level.
4. Aural learning and then attach labels.
5. Spiral learning. Each level builds upon the previous. Mastery is important before moving on to the next level.
6. It is important to introduce only one new concept at a time.

Objectives

1. Sing, play instruments and dance from memory, a large number of traditional singing games, chants, and folk songs, drawn first from the child’s own heritage of folk song material and later expanded to include music of other cultures and countries.
2. Perform, listen to, and analyze the great art music of the world.
3. Achieve mastery of musical skills, such as musical reading and writing, singing and part-singing.
4. Improvise and compose, using their known musical vocabulary at each developmental level.

For more information on the Kodaly Method: http://musiced.about.com/od/lessonplans/p/kodalymethod.htm#

Saxon is a core mathematical program that teaches students with a unique pedagogical approach based on instruction, practice, and assessments. Students move from the concrete to the pictorial to the abstract.

Saxon Math is a basal math curriculum that distributes instruction, practice, and assessment of related topics over a year rather than grouping concepts into chapters or units. This distributed approach is designed to increase student understanding of mathematics concepts and promote long-term retention of skills. Teachers introduce a new concept and work examples with the class. Next, students solve problems that cover the new concept and then concentrate on problems that cover previously introduced material as well as the new concept.

Students learn the purpose for every task and are active participants throughout Spalding lessons. Daily observations and assessments enable teachers to tailor instruction to meet each child’s individual needs: English Language Learners of all ages, Special Needs Students and Gifted. Thus, differentiated instruction is embedded in The Spalding Method.

Spalding teachers believe that students’ physical and mental well-being is a primary concern, that all children can learn, and that they are committed to personal improvement.

Spalding’s Kindergarten to Sixth Grade Teacher Guides provide 32 weeks of:

• Spelling lesson objectives
  • Phonemic awareness
  • Phonics with handwriting
  • Spelling rules
  • Writing high-frequency vocabulary words in a notebook
• Writing lesson objectives
  • Meaning and usage of the same high-frequency spelling words
  • Morphology
  • Parts of speech
  • English conventions
  • Grammar
  • Compositions

Reading lesson objectives

• • Literary appreciation
  • Text fluency

For More Information on the Spalding Method visit their website at:  http://www.spalding.org/index.php?tname=program

Public virtue is a founding principle we strive to uphold. Serving in our community is one of the ways we teach the students to open their eyes to the needs of others around them. We strive to serve in our community, not only to lighten the load of others, but to educate the hearts of the students who are giving service. In the process of serving they will learn a little about themselves, and find satisfaction in helping others.