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Blog 7 - What is the value of the Welsh language in primary education?

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What is the value of the Welsh language in primary education? Approximately 16% of pupils attend welsh medium schools and speak Welsh as their dominant language. A further 10% are bilingual in Welsh and are given the opportunity to communicate in welsh on a daily basis (Jones, 2016). These statistics are disappointingly low for Wales as Welsh is becoming a dying language (Somers, 2016). With the implementation of the new curriculum in 2020, it is with hope that Wales will start to be re-known for its Welsh language again, but what value does this have for children in school?  Language is the essence of thinking, and is integral in communication, learning, reflection and creativity (Donaldson, 2015). Languages links in with the Languages, Literacy and Communication AoLE and it provides children with the fundamental building blocks for the different forms of communication, literacy and learning about language, and also the ability to develop their ability in different languages
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Blog 6 - What are the value of expressive arts in activities in primary education

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What are the value of expressive arts activities in primary education? The Expressive Arts AoLE has been created with the intention to encourage children and young people to develop their creative appreciation and foster their talent and performance skills (Donaldson, 2015). This was first seen in Professor Dai Smith’s (2013) report into arts and education in Wales, ‘An independent report for the Welsh Government into Arts in Education in the Schools of Wales’. This report powerfully highlighted that it is imperative that skills related to Expressive arts have a significance within education in schools (Smith, 2013; Donaldson, 2015; Welsh Government, 2019; Craft, 2005; Van Eman, Thorman, Montgomery, & Otto, 2008; Davies, 2009). Donaldson (2015) states that the arts will provide children with a number of opportunities such as thinking, refining, communicating, engaged thinking, imagination and creativity. By having a positive engagement in the expressive arts AoLE, a child
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Blog 5 - How can science and technology activities be made engaging and relevant in primary education?

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  How can science and technology activities be made engaging and relevant in primary education? In Wales, a new curriculum is being introduced into schools that will change education in Wales for the better (Donaldson, 2015). Graham Donaldson (2015, p. 38) identifies six Areas of Learning and Experiences that define the breadth of the new curriculum. One of these is Science and Technology. Science and Technology are very closely linked and depend on one another (Donaldson, 2015; Arthur, Crick and Hayward, 2013). Science has been a core subject of the curriculum since 1990 and allows children to acquire knowledge through the use of observation. Technology, allows them to then apply that knowledge in practical ways (Donaldson, 2015; Arthur, Crick and Hayward, 2013). This duo has been created to inspire children’s interests in our natural, physical and universal world through investigating, understanding and explaining (Donaldson, 2015). It gives them the ability to test and create n
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Blog 4 - What is the value of creativity in Primary Education?

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What is the value of creativity in Primary Education? Your creative potential, sometimes known as talent, develops mainly during your childhood. It is influenced by environmental conditions, life experiences and interacts with basic cognitive developmental trends during human development (Lubart, 2015). The arts and creativity have always had a major role in enriching the education for young children (Welsh Government, 2013; Harari, 2011: 183). This has always been seen from the NACCE (1999) policies which clearly supported creativity to be cross-curricular (Craft et al, 2014; NACCE, 1999). Now 20 years later, in the new curriculum ‘Successful Futures’, Donaldson (2015) is advocating the importance of creativity and its role in cognitive development.  Creativity falls under the ‘Expressive Arts’ AoLE, where Donaldson (2015, p 43) writes “The expressive arts provides opportunities to explore thinking, refine, and communicate ideas, engaging thinking, imagination and senses crea
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