The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of implementing an innovative educational program—based on rhyming verses and songs—on the development of language and musical skills in preschool children. Additionally, the study examined the pedagogical appropriateness and feasibility of applying such a program within the framework of early childhood education. The program was carried out during the 2024–2025 school year in two classes (n=40) of a Full-Day Kindergarten in the region of Attica. It served as an extension of a similar study previously conducted with Grade 1 students (Konstantakopoulou, 2019), with the original educational material adapted to the specific needs and curriculum of the kindergarten level. The design of the program is grounded in the idea that song, as a common component of both language and music, serves as an ideal and authentic text. Through rhyme, rhythm, repetition, and the positive classroom atmosphere it fosters, song can be used as a tool to facilitate the learning of both Language and Music, while also enhancing students’ motivation and self-confidence (Iwasaki et al., 2013; Rasinski & Zimmerman, 2013; Walton, 2014). The program’s material includes original compositions of short, humorous poems for the letters of the alphabet, set to music in various genres and accompanied by worksheets featuring interdisciplinary activities. Research data, both qualitative and quantitative, were collected through observation checklists, teacher diaries, interviews, content analysis of children's drawings and diagnostic tests assessing phonological awareness (Giannetopoulou & Kirpotin, 2008) and musical audiation (Gordon, 2006). The research findings indicate that the program is pedagogically feasible for implementation in kindergarten settings and contributes significantly to the enhancement of students' phonological awareness and   musical skills. Increased engagement and active participation were observed, along with a strengthening of music education and the development of both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for learning. The results highlight the importance of integrating music into early childhood education as a means of supporting the holistic development of young learners.

• Interdisciplinary approaches in music education

Aggeliki Konstantakopoulou holds a PhD in Music Pedagogy and is a postdoctoral researcher in the same field at the Department of Music Studies, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). She completed her postgraduate studies in the program “Language, Art and Culture in Education” at the Department of Educational Sciences and Early Childhood Education, University of Patras. She also holds a degree from the Department of Primary Education (NKUA). She is a graduate of classical guitar under the tutelage of Kostas Grigoreas. She works as a General  Teacher in Primary Education. Her research and educational interests focus on the development of interdisciplinary educational programs centered on music, as well as the integration of music and the arts into the educational process.