 |
 |
|
Pre-SchoolThe Naíonra in the Gaelscoil
Gach Eolas: 021 -4898526 Gaelscoil Na Dúghlaise We are delighted in Gaelscoil na Dúglaise to have Naíonra na Dúglaise on our premises under the very able direction of Eibhlín Mhic Pharthaláin.Our Naíonra is a group of children of between 3 – 5 years of age who come together for a few hours each day, under the guidance of a Stiúrthóir or leader, to play and to learn through play. The naíonra has two main objectives:
Acquisition of Irish in the Naíonra In the naíonra, no pressure is put on any child to speak Irish. The idea is that the child will acquire this second language in the way in which he/she acquired the first – by listening, understanding, isolating words and structures and, eventually producing words, phrases and sentences.
Gach Eolas: 4898526 Gaelscoil Na Dúghlaise |
The child will be involved in a wide range of activities and games, using sand and water as well as playing with appropriate toys. Art and craft activities are emphasised. Some preliminary work is done in the development of the skills involved in reading, writing and mathematics. Irish is the only language used by the Stiúrthóir in organising and discussing these activities with the children.
Apart from the general advantages of good pre-schooling, there are additional benefits to be gained from exposing a child to a second language at this level. The pre-school child is already actively involved in language learning and the naíonra presents an ideal situation for that purpose. The activities and the language associated with them, are based on real toys and equipment; words used by the Stiúrthóir are self-explanatory from their contexts or can be linked to actions and recurring events. Every child has plenty of opportunity to talk and speak with the Stiúrthóir. The new language is associated with a person, a place and certain activities.
