Dyma adroddiad sy'n deillio o waith Prifysgol Abertawe ar brosiect Swan-Linx, prosiect iechyd a ffitrwydd sydd â'r nod o ymchwilio i iechyd a lles plant ysgol ym mlynyddoedd 5 a 6 (9-11 oed). Mae'r adroddiad yn seiliedig ar ddata a gasglwyd drwy gyfrwng: Arolwg iechyd ar y we o'r enw CHAT (Child Health and Activity Tool) sy'n gofyn cwestiynau am ymddygiadau iechyd gwahanol gan gynnwys diet, gweithgaredd corfforol, cwsg a lles. Diwrnod Hwyl Ffitrwydd, lle cafodd BMI (Mynegai Màs y Corff), ffitrwydd aerobig, cyflymder, cryfder, ystwythder, p?er, a hyblygrwydd yn cael eu mesur. Ariannwyd y gwaith cyfrwng Cymraeg gyda chymorth grant bach gan y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.
Adroddiad Swan-Linx Cymru ar iechyd a lles plant ysgol
The psychological foundations of reading fluency: a review
Forty years of research into reading has elucidated many of the psychological processes underpinning the reading process, but until recently, the cognitive underpinnings of fluency have been relatively unknown. In this review, a description is provided of reading fluency as a cognitive and neurobiological phenomenon, including the research that has gone into understanding this process. My own and my colleagues’ work has focused heavily on this area, and I outline our main findings to date. I end by outlining the implications of this work for our understanding of reading fluency in normally developed and dyslexic adults.
Welsh in the Foundation Phase
The Foundation Phase (FP) is a statutory curriculum in each state school in Wales since 2008. The curriculum follows a developmentally appropriate pedagogy, and encourages children to engage by learning through experiences. The paper that follows is taken from a wider evaluation of the FP, commissioned by Welsh Government in 2012 and considers one of the seven areas of learning; Welsh language development. Results indicated no significant difference between how the Foundation Phase was implemented in Welsh and English medium schools. But, Welsh language development usually took place in whole-class morning activities (e.g. circle time) which doesn’t pair with the Welsh Government’s vision of intertwining the language in every aspect of the FP. The paper considers how schools and settings go about developing bilingual individuals, according to Welsh Government policy aspirations.
Bagloriaeth Cymru
Bwriad y ddau becyn yma yw rhoi cymorth i athrawon i gyflwyno’r elfen Cymru, Ewrop a’r Byd o Fagloriaeth Cymru. Trefnwyd y pecynau o gwmpas themâu gwahanol, a phob un yn edrych ar le Cymru yn Ewrop ac yn y byd mewn modd bywiog a chyffrous.
Lessons from Northern Ireland: A Welsh jurisdiction and the future of legal education in Wales
Devolution has led to significant divergences between the law of Wales and the law of England. Furthermore, the question of whether a separate Welsh jurisdiction is needed is increasingly being given serious consideration. With this in mind, this article examines the issue of legal education in Wales, and considers what developments are needed in order to meet the challenges and opportunities resulting from devolution, as well as any additional developments that would be needed if a Welsh jurisdiction were to be established in the future. In so doing, the article sets out some key findings from an empirical research project carried out in Northern Ireland, which as a small jurisdiction with a devolved government within the United Kingdom, provides an instructive point of reference.
‘Kaleidoscopic Variety’: Bilingual education in Wales today
Bilingual education (i.e. Welsh and English) occurs widely in Wales. By now, considerable variation exists in the provision of bilingual education and, as in the case of minority languages in other European regions, bilingual education in Wales is a combination of education in language heritage/ maintenance (1st Language Welsh) and immersion education (2nd Language Welsh). Because the bilingual education throughout Wales is characterised by “kaleidoscopic variation” (Baker 1993:15), teachers use a wide variety of teaching methods and bilingual teaching. Following interviews / observations at bilingual secondary and primary schools throughout Wales during 2007-2009, this paper will explain the aims and methodology of the research project in question, before moving on to discuss some initial findings. Specific reference is made to purposeful concurrent use of language, as teachers use both languages concurrently during the lesson. The conclusion is reached that further research is necessary into the 'kaleidoscopic variation' of bilingual educational practice in schools in Wales, as well as the analysis and evaluation of the bilingual teaching modules which were observed.
Cefnogi Pob Plentyn (gol. Nanna Ryder)
Nod y gyfrol hon yw cyflwyno rhai pynciau perthnasol mewn cyd-destun Cymraeg a Chymreig i fyfyrwyr sydd yn astudio Graddau Sylfaen yn y maes addysg a gofal. Nid canllaw arfer dda a geir yma ond yn hytrach fraslun o bolisïau, athroniaeth ac ymarfer cyfredol. Caiff pynciau penodol eu trafod ym mhob pennod ac mae’r rhain yn amrywio o ddatblygiad, hawliau, lles a diogelu plant i gynhwysiant, Anghenion Dysgu Ychwanegol, a chwarae a chreadigrwydd.
Teachers as learners – perspectives on second language practitioners’ confidence in supporting Welsh Language ...
Welsh Language Development in the Foundation Phase in Wales is an area of some significance and thus this article focuses on the perspectives of practitioners who speak Welsh as a second language and who teach Welsh as a second language in the Foundation Phase. The depth of challenge of teaching a language in which they are not entirely confident is evaluated, considering some of the implications of their perspectives. The confidence of the practitioners is considered in the context of Welsh policy and curriculum, which suggests that this phase and area of education may be rather invisible in terms of the development of Welsh, but that it impacts a significant number of Foundation Phase pupils in Wales. It is suggested that this element of the Foundation Phase requires consideration and attention in the very near future.
'Towards the light': Parents’ reasons for choosing Welsh education for their children in Cwm Rhymni
Welsh-medium education has long been seen as an effective language planning tool in order to transmit the Welsh language in Wales. According to the 2001 Census, there has been a substantial increase in the numbers of Welsh speakers 3–15 years old, especially in south–east Wales, since the 1991 Census. The aim of this paper is to elaborate upon this quantitative data by providing qualitative data with regard to the main reasons and incentives for parents to choose this educational option for their children. The study location is Cwm Rhymni, Caerffili county. A combination of quantitative questionnaires and qualitative in-depth interviews were administered amongst parents from the meithrin, primary and secondary school sectors in Cwm Rhymni. The reasons why parents choose this educational system for their children were cultural, educational, economic and personal. However, it is pertinent to note from the outset, that the parents chose Welsh-medium education for their children in this area for mainly cultural reasons, rather than economic reasons which featured heavily in past studies such as research by Williams et al. (1978) on bilingual education in the Rhondda. This study is the first in a larger corpus of work and one that hopes to address the existing lacunae in the Sociology of Language in Wales, especially as there is a lack of Sociology of Language studies through the medium of Welsh in Wales.
A critical discussion on the contribution of service users to social work education in Wales
This article reports on the findings of initial work undertaken to assess the contribution of service users / carers to social work education at a higher education institution in Wales and also critically discusses the contribution of service users / carers to social work education. The role of service users / carers in this context continues to be unclear. We suggest that this is reflected in the comments of service users / carers, who often talk about the value of their contribution to social work education in terms of personal benefits - often therapeutic – which they experience from taking part. Social work students are enthusiastic about the contribution of service users / carers to their education, and believe it is useful, but they have varying ideas on how and what the contribution of service users / carers could and should be.
Welsh language provision for young children: landmarks and challenges in the development of nursery education ...
The development of Welsh medium early years education has been a story of singular success over the last century. With the establishment of the National Assembly in 2000, Wales further forged its own vision for its young children. One of its first priorities, for example, was the Foundation Phase with its radical approach. This paper offers an overview of the historic development of nursery education in Wales, before and post devolution. Welsh language and Wales policies are set in the context of wider influences, both research and pedagogic, on early childhood care and education, for example the evidence on good practice from the EPPE (The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education Project) study. Focus will be on Welsh language provision, highlighting the role and contribution of Mudiad Meithrin. The paper will consider issues, research and theoretic, relating to early bilingualism. It concludes with a critical analysis of the challenges facing the field of early childhood services in Welsh in light of current political and policy developments. For the purposes of this paper, addysg feithrin (nursery education) is defined as the care and education provision for children 3–5+ years, and the term blynyddoedd cynnar (early years) is used for the same group.
Welsh language skills resource for teachers
This resource contains a series of interactive tasks and are suitable for anyone who would like to develop their Welsh language skills for the classroom. To get a feel for the resources, the app can be downloaded from your mobile device or you can complete all the tasks in the full online version.