Date of Award:

5-1968

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Human Development and Family Studies

Department name when degree awarded

Family and Child Development

Committee Chair(s)

Jay D. Schvaneveldt

Committee

Jay D. Schvaneveldt

Committee

Carroll Lambert

Committee

Warren L. Burton

Abstract

The free play behavior of two of the Utah State University nursery school groups was observed and recorded according to the time sampling instrument devised to assess the musical activity of children. Twelve group music experiences, in addition to those of the regular curriculum, were presented to the experimental group while the control group received two such experiences.

Sex was found not to be a significant factor in the amount of musical activity; however, girls were slightly more active rhythmically than the boys. The children between 3 years 10 months and 4 years 4 months were the most active musically and there was a slight tendency toward increased music activity at nursery school as music involvement in the home increased. The amount of music activity increased as the number of quarters of nursery school attendance increased.

The data depict the experimental children as involved in more music experiences per day; involved for a greater number of days, especially in rhythmic movement; creating more individual music experiences with an increasing amount of rhythmic content and covering a longer period of time, as compared to the control group. Because the findings were not statistically significant, the null hypothesis stated as, "The inclusion of an extended music curriculum in the nursery school program produces no significant change in the behavior of preschool children," was held tenable.

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