Health, Well-being, Learning and Development Iechyd, Llesiant, Dysgu a Datblygu
How the environment can support the inclusion of all children in the setting including those with additional needs Amgylchedd yn y lleoliad sy’n cynnwys pob plentyn gan gynnwys y rheini ag anghenion ychwanegol

Providing a positive environment is dependent on the commitment of staff to meet the needs and rights of children. Children are individuals who each have different needs which should be responded to in a flexible and sensitive manner. It is important that settings show that they recognise everyone's value regardless of their socio-economic group, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, religion or disability. The cultural background of individual children must be valued and their customs, values and beliefs taken into account.

The role of the adult is to consider the needs of all children, not only their stages of development and individual interests, but also any cultural, emotional and social needs they have. As a professional, you will need to be mindful of diversity and the importance of promoting positive images to ensure children and families/carers feel positive about themselves. Equipment, images, books and activities in the setting should reflect all children in a positive way, for example books showing strong, capable characters from a variety of cultures, or children with disabilities. This is very important in settings where there are no multicultural children or children with special needs. Positive images also support children in the ethnic minority, as all children need to have a sense of pride in who they are, for example it is important for children who wear glasses to see images of other children who wear glasses.

The fact that parents'/carers' home values may be different needs to be respected while attempting to make the most of this. For example, you could teach the children songs and dances from different parts of the world by asking parents/carers of different nationalities to share their culture with everyone. In a setting where children come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, this will be a way for children to learn that everyone is an individual. Sexual discrimination should be avoided and the pink cups should not always be given to the girls, or the blue cups given to the boys. If you ask for a strong boy to help you, this is regarded as 'stereotyping'. Remember that girls can be strong and that girls sometimes like the colour blue!

Children learn best through their own investigation and experiences. These kinds of opportunities to learn and develop are based on stable and caring relationships. The environment and specific activities need to be planned in order to include all children and ensure that everyone is fully involved in the activities. This means that activities need to be adapted to meet specific needs, for example disability or language needs. This could involve staff learning Makaton in order to support children with speech, language and communication difficulties.

By observing children regularly, childcare workers will learn about children's strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes. The information will enable them to provide activities and resources to meet children's individual needs. A childcare worker may observe a child and find out they enjoy sand play, and go to this area every day. The childcare worker may use this information to plan a specific activity in the sand pit to promote the child's development, for example adding money to the sand in order to support mathematical development. Alternatively, the childcare worker may observe the role play area and discover that a child who uses a wheelchair does not go there. The childcare worker may use this information to adjust the role play area so that there is better wheelchair access and more room for the child to move around.

Mae darparu amgylchedd cadarnhaol yn dibynnu ar ymrwymiad staff i ddiwallu anghenion a hawliau plant. Mae plant yn unigolion ac mae anghenion pob un yn wahanol ac felly dylid bod yn hyblyg ac yn sensitif wrth ymateb i’r anghenion hyn. Mae’n bwysig fod lleoliadau yn dangos eu bod yn cydnabod gwerth pawb heb ystyried eu grŵp economaidd cymdeithasol, tarddiad ethnig, rhyw, statws priodasol, crefydd neu anabledd. Rhaid gwerthfawrogi cefndir diwylliannol plant unigol ac ystyried eu harferion, gwerthoedd a’u credoau.

Rôl yr oedolyn yw ystyried anghenion pob plentyn, nid dim ond eu camau datblygiad a'u diddordebau unigol, ond hefyd unrhyw anghenion diwylliannol, emosiynol a chymdeithasol sydd ganddynt. Fel gweithiwr proffesiynol, bydd angen i chi fod yn ymwybodol o amrywiaeth a pha mor bwysig yw hybu delweddau cadarnhaol er mwyn helpu plant a theuluoedd i deimlo'n bositif amdanynt eu hunain. Dylai cyfarpar, lluniau, llyfrau a gweithgareddau yn y lleoliad adlewyrchu pob plentyn mewn ffordd bositif, er enghraifft llyfrau yn dangos cymeriadau cryf, galluog o amrywiaeth o ddiwylliannau, neu blant ag anableddau. Mae hyn yn bwysig iawn mewn lleoliadau lle nad oes plant amlddiwylliannol neu gydag anghenion arbennig. Mae delweddau positif yn helpu plant sydd yn y lleiafrif ethnig hefyd, oherwydd mae angen i bob plentyn gael y teimlad o fod yn falch o bwy ydynt, er enghraifft mae’n bwysig i blant sy’n gwisgo sbectol weld delweddau o blant eraill sy’n gwisgo sbectol.

Mae angen parchu'r ffaith y gall fod gwerthoedd cartref y rhieni'n wahanol gan wneud ymgais i fanteisio ar hyn. Er enghraifft, gallech ddysgu caneuon a dawnsfeydd i'r plant o wahanol rannau o'r byd drwy ofyn i rieni gwahanol genhedloedd rannu eu diwylliant â phawb. Mewn lleoliad lle mae'r plant yn dod o amrywiaeth o wahanol gefndiroedd diwylliannol, bydd hyn yn ffordd i'r plant ddysgu bod pawb yn unigolyn. Dylid osgoi gwahaniaethu ar sail rhyw ac ni ddylid rhoi'r cwpanau pinc i'r merched a'r rhai glas i'r bechgyn bob tro. Os byddwch yn gofyn am hogyn cryf i'ch helpu, mae hynny'n cael ei ystyried yn 'stereoteipio'. Cofiwch y gall merched fod yn gryf ac y bydd merched weithiau'n hoffi'r lliw glas!

Mae plant yn dysgu orau trwy eu hymchwil a’u profiadau. Mae cyfleoedd fel hyn i ddysgu a datblygu yn seiliedig ar berthnasau sefydlog a gofalgar. Rhaid cynllunio’r amgylchedd a gweithgareddau penodol er mwyn cynnwys pob plentyn a sicrhau bod pawb yn cymryd rhan lawn yn y gweithgareddau. Golyga hyn fod angen addasu gweithgareddau i ddiwallu anghenion penodol, er enghraifft anghenion iaith neu anabledd. Gallai hyn olygu bod staff yn dysgu Makaton er mwyn cefnogi plant ag anawsterau iaith, lleferydd a chyfathrebu.

Wrth arsylwi plant yn gyson bydd gweithwyr gofal plant yn dysgu am gryfderau a gwendidau plant, eu hoffterau a'u cas bethau. Bydd y wybodaeth yn eu galluogi i ddarparu gweithgareddau ac adnoddau a fydd yn cwrdd ag anghenion unigol plant. Efallai bod gweithiwr gofal plant yn arsylwi plentyn ac yn dysgu ei fod yn mwynhau chwarae yn y tywod, ac yn mynd i’r ardal hyn bob dydd. Gall yr gweithiwr gofal plant ddefnyddio’r wybodaeth hyn i gynllunio gweithgaredd penodol yn y twb tywod i hybu datblygiad y plentyn, er enghraifft ychwanegu arian at y tywod er mwyn cefnogi datblygiad mathemategol. Neu efallai bod gweithiwr gofal plant yn arsylwi’r ardal chwarae rôl, ac yn dysgu nad yw plentyn sy’n defnyddio cadair olwyn yn mynd yno. Gall yr gweithiwr gofal plant ddefnyddio’r wybodaeth hyn i newid yr ardal chwarae rôl fel bod mynediad gwell i gadair olwyn a mwy o le i’r plentyn symud o gwmpas.