Applying the Principles of the Five Building Blocks of Reading Strategies to Teaching Rhythmic Concepts to Pre-Kindergarten (Age-Four) Music Students

The purpose of this qualitative experimental case study was to explore the effects of applying the principles of the five building blocks of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension) to teaching rhythmic concepts to pre-kindergarten (age four) music students and how they affect the student's ability to develop a rhythmic vocabulary and comprehension. Furthermore, this experiment showcased how teachers can incorporate cross-curricular activities into the music classroom. There is an expanding interest in the broader benefits of music in relationship to reading; however, there is little evidence relating to the effect that the five building blocks of reading have in developing rhythmic comprehension of pre-kindergarten (age four) students. This study involved two classes of pre-kindergarten students (age four) at a rural elementary school in southwest Virginia. This researcher taught students in Class A rhythmic patterns utilizing one-syllable words (representing quarter notes) and two-syllable words (representing two eighth notes) while applying phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The elementary music teacher taught students in Class B rhythmic patterns consisting of single quarter notes and two eighth notes utilizing traditional music education methods. This experiment included a pre-test, post-test, and a survey of elementary music and preschool teachers. The findings revealed that integrating the principles of the five building blocks of reading to teaching rhythmic concepts into the preschool music classroom positively impacted students' rhythmic comprehension and dictation abilities.