The Orff Method

Orff Method The Orff Method, developed by the German composer Carl Orff, is a technique of teaching music that engages in different activities like singing, playing rhythmic or percussion instruments. Lessons are presented with an element of “play”, helping the children at their own level of understanding.

Moreover, according to Flohr (2010), the Orff Method helps them to be creative, to improvise, to move and dance. This approach is used not only in the elementary, but it is also utilized in the middle school all throughout the world. It is strong in meeting the national standard in music education which includes improvisation, composition and playing instrument. However, this approach is weak in reading and writing

Furthermore, Alcodia (2012) believes that everyone is capable of music literacy. In addition, she accentuated that the musical elements are being assimilated through different musical activities such as singing folk songs and through the integration of games. Learning is also achieved through movements in song interpretation, playing instruments as well as reading and writing music while singing. Thus, having experienced the learning by doing and the variety of music activities, the musicianship and music literacy are being developed.

Corollary to this, Flohr et. al. (2010) believed that not only music literacy skills are developed but also the total musicianship as part of human experience. By this approach, Sibucao (2010) concluded that there is a significant difference in the performance of the pupils in reading using the Kodaly method. She added that this method positively affects the reading performance of pupils with learning disabilities. She further recommended that there is a need to integrate music in teaching oral readings to pupils with learning

The Kodaly method was used in teaching voice and keyboard lessons to 6-year-old pupils for one year and the result showed that music lessons boosted the IQ of the respondents. The Dalcroze Method Another method that is associated with acquiring the rhythmic skills is the Dalcroze method. According to Alcodia (2012), the Dalcroze method, also known Dalcroze Eurhythmics, connects music, movement, mind and body to foster music appreciation, ear training and improvisation. Moreover, in this method the children responded and interpreted the rhythm of a musical piece through body movement. It was developed by Emile Jacques-Dalcroze, a Swiss composer.

Furthermore, Dalcroze has three key elements: the eurhythmics, solfege and improvisation. Eurythmics comes from the Greek term for good rhythm. Thus, rhythm and structure learn through kinetic exercises where pupils express what they hear through spontaneous bodily movement. Another method used to read rhythmic patterns and to acquire the rhythmic skills in general is the Modular