A popular maths practice platform used by thousands of Welsh primary school pupils is being made available in Welsh for the first time.
Sumdog, which is already used in more than 200 schools across Wales, will launch its Welsh-language version this September.
It will be the first resource of its kind to be available in Welsh, align with the Curriculum for Wales and adjust to every primary school pupil’s maths level.
Rhidian James, who has taught in Welsh and English-medium schools across Wales for more than 17 years, led the initiative for Sumdog. He said he hoped it was “just the start of many more high-quality learning resources in Welsh”. Teachers in Welsh-medium schools said they currently spend many hours translating resources from English and that this was a “much-needed step forward”.
To test the platform, hundreds of Welsh pupils have completed more than 100,000 maths questions in Welsh from the 200,000-plus on the site.
The bilingual teachers and Welsh language specialists who helped develop the resource have worked hard to ensure that every question and explanation reflects the Welsh spoken in classrooms across the country.
The launch of the Welsh platform comes as demand grows for high-quality digital learning resources in Welsh and as the Welsh Government works towards its target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050.
Rhidian James, Wales Localisation Project Manager for Sumdog, said: “Welsh-medium pupils deserve access to the same high-quality maths resources as their English-speaking peers. Until now, that simply hasn’t been possible in Welsh. What we’ve built is far more than a translation. It’s a platform that genuinely reflects the Welsh that pupils hear in the classroom.
“For many children, school is their primary access to high-quality Welsh, so having consistent, accurate maths vocabulary available every time they use Sumdog has a big impact on how they learn the language. This is about equitable access and I hope this is just the start of many more high-quality learning resources in Welsh.”
Independent research found that pupils using the Sumdog platform showed significant improvements in maths attainment over the course of a school year. The study, which involved nearly 500 pupils across 14 schools, also found that pupils with special educational needs and lower-attaining pupils were among those who benefited most.
Ruth Davies-McHugh, Numeracy Leader, Ysgol Cynwyd Sant, a Welsh-medium school in Bridgend, said:
“This is an excellent development for Welsh primary schools. As a Welsh-medium school where all subjects are taught through the medium of Welsh, we have often found it challenging to access suitable mathematics resources in the language we teach. Teachers currently spend many hours translating resources, and that is time which would be far better spent on teaching and supporting learners. We have sometimes felt let down by educational resources, so to have access to a maths practice platform that is aligned with the Curriculum for Wales and available in Welsh represents a significant and much-needed step forward. The Welsh language is a vital part of our heritage and identity, and it is only right that high-quality educational resources are available to support it.”
Mark Williams, Head of Numeracy, Cwmrhydyceirw Primary School, an English-medium school in Swansea, said:
“We’ve been using Sumdog for nearly 10 years and it has always been a hit with our pupils. What makes it different is that it doesn’t just focus on one skill at a time – pupils have to move between topics, just as they do in assessments. It’s aligned to the Curriculum for Wales, which makes it very easy to use, both in class and for homework. This is a great move for schools across Wales. A lot of resources have always been in English and that has made things harder for many Welsh-medium schools. This will make a real difference.”
Tom Owen, Vice President of Sumdog, said: “Thousands of Welsh primary school pupils are already using Sumdog to build their maths skills and we wanted to make sure that every one of them could do that in Welsh.
“This isn’t something we’ve done quickly or lightly. We’ve worked with Welsh-medium teachers to make sure every question, every explanation and every piece of vocabulary reflects the Welsh that children actually use. Welsh-medium pupils deserve many more high-quality learning resources and we hope this is a significant step towards that.”
