The Effect of Color-Coded Notation on the Rhythm Reading Skills of First Grade Music Students

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of color-coding instructional materials in first grade music students when tested using color-coded notation, modified color-coded notation, and black and white notation. First grade music classes were assigned to one of three instructional conditions that varied according to the notation used in instruction: color-coded, modified, or black and white notation for four weeks. A researcher-created posttest was used to test each group\u27s rhythm reading skills using color-coded notation, modified color-coded, and traditional notation. A posttest survey was given to determine which notation the students preferred to read. Results showed that color-coded materials did not significantly affect the rhythm-reading skills of first-grade students under any test notation format. The preference survey revealed a significant preference for color-coded materials among the subjects