ABSTRACT
Since its founding in 1971 as Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin (Welsh Nursery Schools Movement), Mudiad Meithrin has played an important role in promoting and consolidating the Welsh language through early-years nursery education throughout Wales. By the end of the last century there were over 650 cylchoedd meithrin (nursery groups) with over 14,000 children between the ages of 3 and 5 attending regularly, with numbers continuing to rise since. Enrolment is open to all children of eligible age in an area, and an important element in the ethos of these ysgolion meithrin is to encourage the participation of children from non-Welsh-speaking homes, so that they can get an early immersion on a regular basis in a Welsh-speaking environment. The organisation also runs cylchoedd Ti a Fi (You and Me groups) to enable parents and carers of the children to socialise in Welsh with each other and with the children.
