The Kodály Concept:
The Kodály Music Institute is based upon the teaching philosophy, concepts, and  practices as developed by the Hungarian composer, linguist, philosopher and  educator, Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967).

The Kodály (pronounced KÓH-dye) concept has spread and been adapted in over 40 nations throughout the world. It is a performance-based music education system that stresses learning via authentic multi-cultural folksongs, rhymes, dances and singing games, jazz and classical art music. Cultural, aesthetic and music history is interwoven with singing, movement, musical literacy, and instrument playing.

This approach begins by teaching children to sing in tune, combined with extensive physical movement to develop timing and rhythmic competence. Music is taught in a way that requires each child to learn via a variety of modes—kinesthetic, auditory, and visual.

Kodály teachers are trained how to carefully analyze each song that is  used in teaching. From this song analysis, common melodic and rhythmic patterns emerge, dictating the most appropriate teaching sequence for musical reading and writing.  

Children learn how to gradually hear and then sight sing standard musical notation through the use of these repetitive patterns, thus developing true musical literacy. Once children have acquired music-literacy skills, they are then able to easily apply this to instrumental study, making such lessons considerably easier and more successful.

Research evidence suggests that Kodály training develops children’s intellectual abilities beyond music to those needed for the learning of all subjects, as well as developing socialization skills.

Please visit the following links for more inforation on recent research:

http://www.todaysparent.com
http://musicmind.homestead.com