Practitioners/Teachers 

According to the most recent policy documents from the Department of Basic Education, grade R refers to preschool education that is systematically being implemented into the South African school system, aiming at 100% of pre-schoolers having access to formal grade R education programmes by 2019. Challenges in Early Childhood Education in South Africa include a lack of qualified teachers as well as learning and support materials of a high quality. The Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for grade R consists of three subjects: Home Language, Mathematics and Life Skills. Life Skills includes four study areas: Beginning Knowledge, Creative Arts, Physical Education as well as Personal and Social Wellbeing. Only a half an hour per week is dedicated to formal music education as part of the study area Creative Arts. When music is integrated into the daily programme with other aspects of grade R teaching and learning, the holistic development of the learner is enhanced. Grade R teachers are seldom trained music specialists and are unsure about the implementation of music in their daily teaching. The practicability of integrating music into the daily programme in grade R is being explored in this thesis in order to contribute to the social, physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development of grade R learners. The main research question that determines this study is which theoretical framework explains how music can be integrated in grade R. The research approach that guided the exploration of the main research question is a qualitative, multiple case study in an interpretivist paradigm. Initially, a literature study was carried out in order to describe the current trends related to the integration of music in grade R. Thereafter, the teaching and learning in five multicultural grade R classes in the Potchefstroom region were observed to document the ways in which music is being integrated into the grade R classroom. Afterwards, the data were organised and categorised with Atlas.ti 7.1.6 in order to execute a cross-case analysis. The findings were verified through long-term observation and member checking. A theoretical framework was generated which describes six aspects for integrating music in grade R teaching and learning: about music, from music, on music, with music, in music and through music. In this framework, every aspect of integration is connected with activities in accordance with the grade R learning principles of play, exploration and practical experiences in order to promote the overall development of the grade R learner. Even though the findings are specific to the Potchefstroom region, diverse possibilities exist for the application of the theoretical framework in national and international preschool v education. This implies that music can successfully be integrated into the daily programme in grade R by music specialists as well as teachers with no or minimal musical training.