Mudiad Meithrin welcomes the findings of the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic education report, led by Professor Charlotte Williams OBE, in the New Curriculum for schools, that was published last week. (See Final Report) Inclusion is at the heart of our work and we strive to represent every child in our Cylchoedd Meithrin by publishing more inclusive resources. The most recent example is the publication of our Nature Notes rhymes project this week, which includes a combination of Welsh nursery rhymes and simple songs in Arabic, Urdu, Romania, Polish and Bengali.
The Mudiad’s Cylchoedd Meithrin have introduced Welsh nursery rhymes to the children in their care for fifty years, and the aim of the Nature Notes Nursery Rhymes project is to introduce nursery rhymes in Welsh and other languages belonging to various cultures and traditions rooted in Wales for a century or more. The project will have a national impact, as the Mudiad has worked with talented musicians, Siân James, Gwyneth Glyn and folk group Bragod to create a contemporary resource combining Welsh nursery rhymes and simple songs in Arabic, Urdu, Romania, Polish and Bengali.
Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, Mudiad Meithrin’s Chief Executive, said:
“The Nature Notes project aims to promote awareness of the richness and variety of Welsh and Welsh-speaking heritage by celebrating the communities and cultures which have made Wales their home, and to inspire people to look closer at the heritage of their square mile. This will contribute to exciting learning experiences, to the creation of a wider range of resources, and to the upskilling of the workforce. Indirectly, it will encourage children to focus on the wider meaning of heritage and to celebrate the variety and richness of the cultures and traditions surrounding us, fostering a dialogue regarding belonging, identity, and also an acknowledgement that the Welsh language is a powerful tool in creating cohesive communities.”
Siân James – musician who specialises in the folk songs of Wales – said:
“This is one of the most delightful and inspiring projects I’ve been a part of for a long time. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the honour, and I eagerly look forward to hearing all the children singing along with these beautiful nursery rhymes.”
Mary-Anne, member of the folk band Bragod said:
“In preparing this project, Bragod went on a linguistic journey by singing the rhymes in Welsh before singing them in their native languages. These rhymes, the very building blocks of language, open the minds and mouths of the young to different words and sounds, encouraging them to imagine lives other than their own. With guidance, descriptions of familiar and unfamiliar flora and fauna, climate, ways of singing and instrumentation stimulate the children to consider sameness and difference within life itself.”
The education pack contains 9 songs, the song lyrics, a simple story explaining the origin and compass of each rhyme/song, with a craft activity to enrich each nursery rhyme; all with the aim of developing a multicultural ethos from a young age, so that children can come to enjoy and appreciate other cultures and languages.
Nia Beynon, Early Years Consultant and Trainer, was commissioned to undertake the work. Nia said:
“When I was commissioned to create a resource for the youngest children of Wales, I hadn’t considered the extent I would be embarking on such an enriching journey through the cultures of other nations who have made Wales their home. The work of collecting the nursery rhymes meant that I worked with the Indian, Arabic, Romanian and Polish communities, as well as the traditional communities of Wales. Working on the collection of nursery rhymes has widened my own horizons, and I truly hope that the young children of Wales will benefit as much from singing them as I benefitted from their compilation!”
