Developing Local Music Teaching Materials: Educational Applications of Sichuan Han Game Rhymes in University Preschool Education Programs
List of Authors
Connie Cassy Ompok, Jinky Jane C. Simeon, Lin Keli, Ng Giap Weng
Keyword
Game Rhymes, Sichuan Han Children's Rhymes, Kodály Method, Intangible Cultural Heritage Education, Preschool Education Programs
Abstract
Sichuan Han children's rhymes are a distinctive form of intangible cultural heritage in Southwest China. Widely used for children's entertainment, early education, and social interaction, these rhymes hold significant educational value. This study employed ethnographic fieldwork methods to collect 84 rhymes from 18 tradition bearers in Huaying and Yuechi, Guang'an City, Sichuan Province. Among them, 28 rhymes were identified as game-oriented, including categories such as parent–child games, finger play games, word chain games, gate-crossing games, reaction games, and chasing games. Using the rhythm extraction and structural analysis techniques from the Kodály Method, this research analyzed representative rhymes from the perspectives of rhythmic patterns, structural forms, and extractable rhythmic units. Video recordings, interviews, and interactive participation were also used to reconstruct the original performance and play contexts. The findings reveal that Sichuan game rhymes exhibit distinctive dialectal rhythmic features and local cultural expressions. They play a meaningful role in cultivating children’s sense of rhythm, motor coordination, and emotional bonding. The study recommends incorporating these rhymes as localized teaching materials in preschool education programs at the university level, thereby promoting the integration and transmission of intangible cultural heritage within modern educational systems.