Those of you with children being educated through medium of welsh.

[notsofarnow]

dd started reception in September and i'm worried that she is never going to read or write. I ask her what she's done and she says nothing, I ask her if she's done letters or numbers and she says no. She can't write her name where as dd's who are now 15 & 13 could write their names in nursery and read by end of reception quite well (english schools)

i went to a friends this afternoon and her ds same age (different school) knows all his phonics, letters, is bringing reading books home, has a home school diary.

Do welsh schools just do things differently or is my dd behind everyone else? I know their all different but am just worried that she's not learning anything and playing all day.

Ds who has just started meithrin seems to know more than her sometimes.

Are you Welsh language at home?
And are they perhaps doing a "learning through play" initiative which off the top of my head I can't remember the name of but is a Welsh Assembly thing and is apparently very forward thinking?
And does the teacher think there are any issues?

Sorry loads of questions. I've no answers necessarily, I'm just being curious

I don't speak welsh but dd2 13yr goes to welsh school, although to get her to speak welsh to her is a battle.

I wondered about the learning through play and thats why I wasn't unduly worried until today when I went to my df her ds school is only just up the road so both in same county.

We haven't had parents eve yet but meithrin teachers last year had no complaints apart from she was extermely shy, but they had no doubt she knew more than she let on. It took her 9 months to talk to them last year, so I don't know what she's like this year its difficult to speak to teachers - thier on the yard on their own in the morning and in the afternoon she's busy letting them all out of the class.

OK, now I'm no expert (not welsh medium education here) but just wondering if she's struggling to adjust to the welsh language environment if she's not used to it at home. Though surely if she's just started reception, she'll pick it up very quickly and will be on a massive uphill learning curve, so she will get there, though it might be a bit daunting at the moment. Bless her.

The learning through play thing can vary from school to school, it's just being trialled at the moment so neighbouring schools may be doing different things.

I find it tricky getting to speak to teachers too, they always seem so rushed, don't they? My latest tactic, is to let DS play in the yard for 10 minutes, then go over when she's less rushed. I think she's spotted that I'm doing that

Surprised no one else has picked up on this thread - there's loads of people who are educating in welsh here.

Bump!

will bump it up in the morning thanks for your replies.

She is such a little sweetie who looks like butter wouldn't melt and she gives the impression that she is so shy and coy but underneath it all she is quite confident - in that I have never had a problem with her going to playgroup, nursery or school she loves it.

opps haven't managed to get on today to bump this.