An interactive package of stories, plays and games for Primary School Teachers to support teaching Irish in the classroom

All children love stories. Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in any teacher’s classroom toolbox. Storytelling is emphasised in the Primary Language Curriculum 2019 in the Teanga Ó Bhéal strand.

It is recommended that children listen to language in context and use it by retelling the stories they know using pictures/puppets, putting pictures in a story series in order and talking about them.

These are the activities that are provided in Tomás na hOrdóige, which is an interactive teaching resource.

The new edition of Tomás na hOrdóige includes the following stories:

1.  Cochaillín Dearg Little Red Riding Hood
2.  Cinnín Óir agus na Trí Bhéar Goldilocks and the Three Bears
3.  An Tornapa Mór The Giant Turnip
4.  Na Trí Mhuc The Three Little Pigs
5.  An Buachaillín Sinséir The Gingerbread Boy
6.  An Chircín Bheag Rua The Little Red Hen
7.  Tomás na hOrdóige Tom Thumb
8.  Luaithríona Cinderella
9.  Hansel agus Gretel Hansel and Gretel
10.  Jeaic agus an Gas Pónaire Jack and the Beanstalk

Key points

• Focused on primary school students from the junior classes upwards
• Six laminated A4 pictures with each story
• Short simple play script with each story
• Patterns to make masks and hand and finger puppets

Reading
The stories and activities in this package give children their first steps in reading.

Nóirín Ní Nuadháin
Nóirín Ní Nuadháin is a former lecturer in Irish in St. Patrick’s College, Dublin City University. Ní Nuadháin also worked in training primary school teachers and supporting them in developing storytelling skills for the classroom.

Nóirín Ní Nuadháin was involved in developing the Irish language curriculum and in Guidelines for Irish language teachers in 1999.

She has particular expertise in teaching Irish at the primary school level and developing new and innovative strategies to support both teachers teaching Irish and students who are learning the language.