From Hungary, our conductor László Durányik and project manager Edit Pálinkás joined two partners from Italy, two from Greece, and three from North Macedonia for two days of project evaluation, final planning – and yes, a bit of sightseeing too.
The meeting was more than a summary – it was a celebration of the results. Throughout the last year, we’ve been exploring how music can support children who struggle with dyscalculia – a learning difficulty that affects mathematical understanding. During the meeting, we reviewed and finalised the teaching manual, a resource that now offers practical and accessible music-based exercises for teachers and youth workers.
The manual, written and edited by our Hungarian team with strong contributions from all partners, provides:
- Easy-to-follow games that combine rhythm, melody, and movement with basic math concepts
- Guidelines for recognizing dyscalculia and adapting your classroom
- Specific sections on rhythm and fractions, number sense, repetition, memory training, and pattern recognition
- Tips for non-musicians to confidently lead activities
- Printable game materials and diagrams
- Suggestions for further development
We also finalised our series of videos, which illustrate how the activities can look in practice – these will soon be available for everyone on the official project website. And of course, there are also downloadable game kits that can be used anywhere in the world by teachers who want to bring play and music into their classrooms.
From online to on-the-ground
Looking back, the Ma.Mu project started with online training sessions in spring 2024, but it quickly turned into a real community. We’ve tested our activities with children, discussed results with fellow educators, and most importantly – we’ve learned. About how music can become a bridge between difficulties and solutions. About how mathematical fear can slowly fade when a child hears, sings, claps, or steps a pattern. And about how small ideas, developed with heart and method, can make a difference.
And after the meeting?
In Naples, we also had a chance to discover the city together. We played a team sightseeing game focused on music-related locations, strolled through historic streets, and even enjoyed a day-trip to Sorrento, where we had a surprise reunion with the North Macedonian group. It was a simple reminder: Europe is not that big, and projects like this help build real connections.
What’s next?
We are now waiting for the official publication of the manual, the videos, and the game materials – the Italian team is finalising the project website, and we hope it will soon be available for educators and music lovers across Europe and beyond.
And while this is the final event of this Erasmus+ project, we left Naples with one shared hope: that this is not the end, but the beginning of something more.
