Comparing The Effects of Numerical versus Syllable-Based Pedagogy on Kindergarten Academics

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of numerically based and syllable-based pedagogical approaches on kindergarten students in a school located in Duval County, Jacksonville, Florida. The Kodály Method, a well-established and effective music education strategy, offers numerous classroom benefits. Teachers can utilize both numerically based and syllable-based approaches within the Kodály framework. However, additional data are required to ascertain whether these approaches can enhance academic performance among kindergarten students. A quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of syllable-based music training on kindergarten reading scores and numerical-based music training on kindergarten math scores. The initial results showed that there was no significant difference in reading or math scores according to music lessons. However, additional analysis, including evaluation of the pre- and post-test data for the numerically based group, produced statistically significant positive math scores.