humusic1-4, Exercise 3: The Kodaly method

Model answer (check which elements came from Kodaly himself):

Core ideas: children should learn music through singing from an early age; the first songs should be folk songs of their own culture; reading music is taught with a movable-do system (solfege) and hand signs; and music education should be part of ordinary schooling, taught by trained teachers.

One reason it spread: it gave teachers a clear, step-by-step way to teach music reading and singing to whole classes without expensive instruments, and its stress on folk song suited many countries with their own traditions.

One point needing more evidence: how much of the method was Kodaly's own invention. Movable-do solfege and hand signs had earlier roots, in Britain and elsewhere, and many of the practical lesson materials were developed by his colleagues and pupils (check). Another question is how far studies show better musical results than other methods.