Nuacht

Am Luí - Bedtime

Seo chugaibh scéal nua; Am Luí!

We have a developed a little story to complement the Department of Education's Getting Ready to Learn's programme, 'Big Bedtime Read'.

Click on the image below to download your copy!

 Am scéil - Story time

As you are aware, this week is #ParentingWeek. A week to celebrate parents, carers and guardians for everything they do.

This week also very appropriately is #BookWeekNI. Books are powerful tools that can take us on our wildest journeys and expeditions without even getting off the settee (convenient these days!) But a book, and the concept of storytelling is so much more than just a good story. The marrying up of a book with the act of reading that story to a child creates a special moment and bond that can’t be bought. When you read a story to your child, whether it be a brand new adventure or the same story you’ve read 4 times a day for the last 3 months because they love it so much and want it ‘again’, you’re sending a subliminal message that you’re there for the child. You’re the safe space where they can escape, you’re the one who will pilot them on this journey to another world full of Gruffalos and the likes. When you read a book to a child they are learning that illustrations tell a story, they are learning that text has meaning, they are learning that you read a book from left to right, that pages turn to continue the story, that numbers on the pages represent the part of the story you’re at. They learn that those lines before a word means someone’s talking, they learn that different characters have different voices. Importantly, they learn language. More importantly, they learn that you have time for them. Most importantly, they learn that you love them. 

In Naíscoil the same concepts apply. We’re the lucky ones who get to observe sessions and watch how children interact with staff and children. We see that child lifting their favourite book, approaching an adult, asking for the story to be read – often asking in English and as the year goes on we hear that evolve and develop beginning with the addition of 1 Irish word at a time to their question; from the early days of ‘will you read me a scéal?’ through to ‘Ba mhaith liom scéal’ - but the interactions remain constant – only developing stronger. The child approaches the staff member, asks their question, they go to a quiet area of the room, make sure everyone’s comfortable, and begin to read their story, eyes widening and expressions changing in keeping with the drama of the tale. Children use the illustrations in the book to follow the storyline and they gradually pick up on the language as they hear high frequency words being used. Watching a child learn and develop is fascinating and the highest privilege, but watching a child develop a second language is something else altogether.

Storytelling has a massive part to play in developing language, any language. We can’t recommend it enough. Reading at home to your child in English equips them with the skills they need to decode the scéal they hear in Naíscoil. Please don’t ever feel that because your child goes to Naíscoil they should only be read to in Irish – if you have Irish, excellent. Use it. Go for it with all you’ve got. But please don’t ever feel that you can’t read to your child in English. Storytime is key in language development but it also has so much more to offer.

So as part of both Parenting NI #Parentingweek and #BookWeekNI, we encourage you all to set time aside for story time with your babies, whether that be in English or Irish. Before long they’ll be reading their own stories so enjoy this time. Escape with them to the deep, dark woods – wherever the story takes you.

An tábhacht leis an scéalaíocht sna luathbhlianta
The importance of storytelling in the early years

25ú & 26ú Lúnasa 2021

25th & 26th August 2021

Cláraigh anseo!

Beidh an seisiún traenála seo ag díriú isteach ar an aistriú ón Naíscoil go rang a haon. De thoradh ar an dian ghlasáil sínte, beidh cuma difriúil ar an phróiseas aistriú i mbliana. 

Bígí linn Dé Luain 17ú Bealtaine @1.30-2.30 pm 

Cláraigh anseo!

Nuair atá tú cláraithe, gheobhaidh tú nasc chuig an seisiún fríd r-phost.

This training session will focus on the transition from Naíscoil to rang a haon. As a result of the restrictions placed on settings and the extended lockdowns, the transition process will be different to normal this year. We will spend this session looking in more detail at the transition process itself.

Join us on Monday 17th May @1.30-2.30 pm

Register here!

Once registered you will receive a link to the session via email.