Carl Orff's Concept of Holistic Education: Implementing Ideas in Ukrainian Preschool and Primary Schools

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to provide a scholarly justification for implementing Carl Orff's concept of holistic education in Ukrainian preschool and primary school, taking into account the requirements of the Basic Component of Preschool Education, the State Standard of Primary Education and the integrated nature of the arts educational field. The article interprets Orff's concept not as a set of isolated musical exercises but as an anthropologically oriented pedagogical system in which a child explores the world through the unity of speech, movement, rhythm, singing, play, dance, elementary instrumental music-making, improvisation and co-creation. The research methods included analysis of regulatory documents, historical and pedagogical analysis of Orff-Schulwerk ideas, generalisation of current Ukrainian and international studies, comparison of educational opportunities at preschool and primary levels, pedagogical modelling and systematisation of practical techniques. The results made it possible to identify principles for adapting Orff's ideas to the Ukrainian context: reliance on children's folklore and native-language rhythmic speech; priority of active participation over reproductive performance; connection of music with bodily, emotional, social and speech development; continuity between senior preschool age and Grades 1-4; inclusiveness and safety of creative interaction. A structural and functional model of implementation is proposed, comprising value-target, content, procedural-activity, environmental and assessment-reflective blocks.