
Is your little one starting in a Gaelscoil? Here's how to help
Gaelscoileanna in Ireland follow the 'tumoideachas' or immersion education system.
Immersion education is a system which helps children to become fluent in Irish naturally, by giving them daily experience of an Irish-speaking environment. This means that all subjects, apart from English, are taught through the medium of Irish right up until 6th class. It also means that Irish is the language of communication in the school, both inside and outside the classroom and in the playground. In this way, children's fluency in the language is supported.
Try not to get too caught up in how much Irish is needed, while some children starting in a Gaelscoil might have some Irish from home, plenty are starting afresh most take a second language in their stride. If you'd like to prepare yourself and them for more Gaeilge in their day before they start school, introducing daily activities as Gaeilge is a great place to start.
Books
There are plenty of brilliant books available in Irish. Many of the books for this age group rely heavily on pictures and therefore, you won't need to be fluent yourself to undertake a bit of scéalaíocht. Introducing a book or two in Irish into the bedtime rotation is an easy win. Futa Fata have a collection of picture-books available to buy and your local library probably does too!
Music
Listening to songs in Irish is a fun way to get to know how the language sounds. There are a ton of playlists on Spotify to get you started, have a listen to Picnic Teidí or Gugalaí Gug as a gateway to Gaeilge.
Cartoons
If your child watches cartoons, TG4 has its own tv channel dedicated to children called Cúla4 and it features some gorgeous shows bound to enchant them in any language.
Enjoy the journey agus go n-éirí go geal leo!

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Fans pay tribute to Sinead O'Connor on anniversary
Two years have now passed since Sinéad O'Connor sadly died at the age of 56. The Irish legend left an everlasting mark on the country's music scene, as well as being a cultural icon to many across the world. The singer's death was confirmed to be a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, after she was found unresponsive in her London flat on July 26, 2023. Sinead O'Connor ripped up a photo of the Pope on Saturday Night Live in 1992. Pic: NBC Sinéad's untimely death shocked and upset fans all around the world and now they have continued to pay tribute to the star to mark her second anniversary. One fan shared on social media: 'Paid a visit to Deansgrange Cemetery today and laid some flowers at the grave of Sinéad O'Connor. 2 years tomorrow since she passed. Nothing compares to you, Sinéad.' Another wrote: 'R.I.P. Sinéad O'Connor! Thank you for standing on the right side of history. Your humanity in the Palestinian people has proven you to be a true leader in representing equality. Nothing but respect for the Irish people.' Sinead O'Connor passed away two years ago today. Pic: Getty. A third added: 'There are no words to describe the artist Sinéad … Thank you Sinéad, for the gems of beauty you shared with us.' Yet another said: 'She will never ever be forgotten. She was unique and complicated. She wasn't a typical voice, musically, artistically and politically. She was both fragile and powerful. She was a fighter and a force. For me, she is my ultimate Irish icon and a connection with my half Irish heritage.' District Music paid a tribute to Sinéad, saying: 'Her voice wasn't just musical, it was a protest, a prayer, and a force for truth in a world too often afraid of it. We remember her not just for her art, but for her courage.' Fans outside the former home of Sinead O'Connor in Bray ahead of her funeral in 2023. Pic: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Earlier this week, singer Imelda May also shared her memories of Sinéad while speaking on Ireland AM. She said: 'Sinead was absolutely brilliant, she spoke the truth and she was brave as anyone I ever knew, she was one of the bravest women. 'She took the grief that she got all the time and she was just full of love all the time and I really miss her, I'll miss her forever.' Sinéad O'Connor was a unique figure in Irish music. Pic: Andre Csillag/REX/Shutterstock Last week, Sinéad's father Seán told Oliver Callan on RTE Radio One that he visits his daughter's grave every week to 'bring her up to date'. The 87-year-old revealed Sinéad's grave is simple and was designed by another one of his daughters, Eimear. He said: 'It's more to do with the fans than her family. Her family is in the heart. Asked how he was by Sinéad's side during the turbulent times of her career, Seán revealed there was nothing he could do but be there for her. Seán O'Connor with his children Sinéad, Joseph and Eimear at the launch of Dublin: One City One Book in 2011. Pic: Fran Veale He added: 'In the end, I always had a feeling of compassion for her. 'She was always on the edge. We got on really well, most of the time, and sometimes she'd fall out with me.' He then recalled one of his final memories with his daughter, when the pair headed away for a staycation to Wexford in January 2023. Seán remarked: 'We went down to the holiday, checking in two rooms and we went off for a drive and we came back and I had been upgraded. 'I had a suite — and chocolates [and] a bunch of flowers. You couldn't go anywhere with Sinéad, somebody would come over, 'Oh, Sinéad love. How are ya?'' He added that he was 'beginning to deal with' the loss of his daughter.


Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Cleo Laine, Britain's most successful jazz singer, dies aged 97
Cleo Laine, the UK's most successful and celebrated jazz singer, has died aged 97. A statement from her children Jacqui and Alec reads: 'It is with deepest sadness that we announce the passing of our dearly beloved mother, Cleo, who died peacefully yesterday afternoon. We will all miss her terribly. The family wish to be given space to grieve and ask for privacy at this very difficult time.' She was well known for a longstanding collaboration with her late husband, the composer and reed player John Dankworth, singing with his jazz bands from the mid-1950s onwards. But she also had a stellar solo career, including in the US, where she became the only female artist to be nominated for Grammy awards in pop, jazz and classical categories; few singers have the versatility to deliver atonal Arnold Schoenberg pieces and to have duetted with Ray Charles. Laine was born in Uxbridge, west London, in 1927, the daughter of a Jamaican father and an English farmer's daughter (her original name was Clementina Campbell, though she was registered at birth as Clementine Bullock, her mother's surname). She was raised in nearby Southall and had an unassuming youth, working at various jobs after leaving school including as a hairdresser, librarian and pawnbroker. Still a teenager, she married George Langridge and had a son, Stuart. Jazz couple and husband and wife team John Dankworth and Cleo Laine perform together on stage during a County Hall concert. Picture: PA/PA Wire She sang in clubs after work, but became a professional singer in her mid-20s after successfully auditioning for Dankworth's band the Dankworth Seven. 'In a sense, with them, I started at the top,' she later said. She earned £7 a week, and changed her name to the snappier Cleo Laine. Her marriage faltered – Langridge 'thought my career was a pipe-dream', she said – and Laine left him for Dankworth, marrying him in 1958. She developed her voice, eventually reaching a four-octave range and becoming one of the most esteemed proponents of the scat singing style. She acted in plays and musical theatre in London, as well as performing with Dankworth and his band; in 1961, she crossed over into the British pop charts with You'll Answer to Me reaching No 5. She and Dankworth achieved further recognition with their jazz arrangements of poetry by Shakespeare, ee cummings, WH Auden and TS Eliot. Emboldened by a successful Australian tour, they began live performances in New York. US reviewers received her rapturously, and Laine cemented her American career with concerts backed by her husband at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, alongside musical theatre on Broadway. She recorded an acclaimed album of Stephen Sondheim numbers, duetted with Ray Charles for a recording of Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess, and made collaborative albums with the guitarist John Williams and the flautist James Galway. In 1992, she supported Frank Sinatra for a five-night residency at London's Royal Albert Hall. British singer Cleo Laine in an instrumental mood at her home in Wavendon. Picture: PA/PA Wire In 1970, she and Dankworth founded the Stables venue in the grounds of their home in Wavendon, Buckinghamshire, which has gone on to present concerts by Dave Brubeck, Amy Winehouse and many others, and hosts music education projects. In 1979 she was awarded an OBE and in 1997 she was made a dame. Dankworth was knighted in 2006. The couple continued to tour together until shortly before Dankworth's death on 6 February 2010, aged 82. Laine performed later that night, alongside their musician children Jacqui and Alec, for a scheduled concert celebrating 40 years of the Stables; she only announced her husband's death at the end of the concert. 'It wasn't so much 'the show must go on' – I'm not that committed to the stage,' she said in 2010. 'I instinctively knew Johnny would want it to. That if I had died he would have gone on. Johnny and me – we were joined at the hip.' She is survived by Jacqui and Alec. Her son Stuart died in 2019, aged 72.


Extra.ie
3 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Rosie O'Donnell 'almost made very expensive mistake' while saving woman from choking
Rosie O'Donnell joked that she nearly made a very expensive mistake after she saved an elderly woman from choking. The comedian moved to Ireland following the re-election of Donald Trump — with whom she had a long rivalry — with her child Clay, and spoke earlier this month about how she saved a 90-year-old woman from choking at the Dillon Hotel. Appearing on Ireland AM on Friday (July 25) Rosie elaborated on the incident; but joked that while she called for people to call 911, she was told that the emergency number here is 999. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ireland AM (@irelandamvmtv) 'I ran over like an EMT,' Rosie explained. 'I had taken a course [on CPR] when I was in my 20s, but I didn't know — I was panicking. My friend was there and we were doing the Heimlich, I was in the front of her and she didn't know how to do it. So in the final minute, because I was so scared, I pushed, and I went up and then [the steak] flew out.' Rosie then said that she 'kept screaming 'call 911!' and then finally I sat down and the woman at the next table says 'Rosie, it's not 911, it's 999.'' 'There was an American ambulance on the way,' host Martin King joked, while Rosie immediately quipped 'it costs $30,000.' Rosie O'Donnell joked that she nearly made a very expensive mistake after she saved an elderly woman from choking. Pic:'So you're good at saving people from choking?' chef Jack O'Keeffe then asked Rosie, before joking 'you should've been at Croke Park on Sunday' — a reference to Cork's undoing in the second half of the All-Ireland final against Tipperary. Rosie has been welcomed to Ireland with open arms; and bookies are even putting her in the running for the President of Ireland. Ladbrokes are saying Rosie could put herself forward for the Irish presidency, especially since she is seeking Irish citizenship through descent, which would make her eligible. Rosie moved to Ireland last year and has been welcomed with open arms; with some people reckoning she could even go for the President of Ireland. Pic: Virgin Media Television Punters have also seemingly put Rosie as a potential dark horse, with 10/1 odds of winning if she does end up running. 'Rosie O'Donnell has really captured the hearts and minds of the Irish people,' Ladbrokes spokesperson Cal Gildart said. 'Her endearing charm has led punters to back her for a run at the presidency. We may see her appearing on a ballot paper in November.'