Whether you're sending your little one to big school for the first time or they're returning after the summer break, here are some easy way to get use more Gaeilge at home to prepare for the seomra ranga.
Small words make a big difference
Introducing some Irish into daily life is a fun and easy way to ease the transition into learning Irish. If you're sending your child to a Gaelscoil, they'll be going into an Irish-only environment and if you're not, they'll be learning lots of Irish very soon so a head start is a help! Here are a few words often used in daily life.
Maidin mhaith- Good morning
Oíche mhaith- Good night
Dinnéar- Dinner
Go raibh maith agat- Thank you
Le do thoil- Please
Open up a new world through books
Even if your child isn't reading or reading independently yet, there are some wonderful books as Gaeilge that could light up their lives. Adding a few books as Gaeilge or bilingual books into the night time routine is a lovely to get them used to how the language looks and sounds.
You can find some excellent choices for children of all ages and levels of Irish here
Your local library is another great treasure trove for books as Gaeilge.
Cartoons and other content
If your child enjoys cartoons, both RTÉJr and TG4 broadcast a huge amount of cartoons and tv shows for kids as Gaeilge. TG4 even has a dedicated channel to kids content called Cúla4.
Check out Peppa Muc here for the smallies and Holt, for bigger kids here
Mind your language
Remind yourself that your kids mirror what they hear and see at home. Having a positive attitude towards the Irish language could make a big impact on how your child learns the language.
