NEW Junior Cycle Irish Package
Click below to View a Sample of our Digital Resources
Croí na Gaeilge
An innovative and exciting package that brings the Junior Cycle Irish specification and language learning to life in the classroom, and prepares students for assessment
Written by two passionate and experienced classroom teachers, the new Croí na Gaeilge package brings the Junior Cycle Irish specification and language learning to life in the classroom.
Croí na Gaeilge embraces a spiral approach, which allows students to integrate their understanding of Irish, and prepares students for assessment.
The Croí na Gaeilge package includes at each level:
- A Student Textbook
- A Student Activity Book
- A Portfolio Resource Book (Acmhainn Punainne)
- A Free Student e-book
- Free Audio App
- A Teacher’s Resource Book & CDs
- Free Digital Resources
Student Textbook
- Fully integrates the three strands of the specification
- Visually appealing, user-friendly spreads with photos, illustrations, and links to key content
- Innovative spiral approach to language learning and grammar:
– core aspects of the language are revisited periodically
– pages are laid out to integrate all five language skill
– core aspects are not taught in isolation; they are layered on top of previous knowledge using thematic language
– core aspects of the language are reinforced through structured repetition - Contains 8 thematically relevant, age-appropriate units
– Book 1 bridges the gap between Primary and Junior Cycle Irish in the mixed-ability 1st Year classroom
– In Books 2 & 3 common content is differentiated across both textbooks, to engage the abilities of Ordinary and Higher Level students
- A wide range of scaffolded, high-quality activities across the language skills cater for all students’ abilities and help to develop their receptive and communicative skills
- Thematically relevant and authentic literature texts, taken from the prescribed list, including poems, short stories and films, with scaffolded activities, detailed notes and sample answers that help students to respond to the literature and to develop their communicative competence in line with the Junior Cycle Irish specification and the final exam
- Croí na Gaeilge 1 includes:
– Two units featuring content from best-selling author Ógie Ó Céilleachair, including a summary of his prescribed short story, ‘An Nollaig Fadó’
– A unit on sports and well-being from Paul Flanagan, well-known GAA star, TG4 sports commentator, well-being and mental skills expert and teacher of Irish and PE - Croí na Gaeilge 2 & 3 include:
Two dedicated novel and drama units, Cúpla at Higher Level and Gleann Álainn at both levels, the first textbooks in the market to provide a deep-dive into these popular prescribed texts, with integrated grammar, detailed notes and sample answers
– Original Guth an údair notes and sample answers written by best-selling author Ógie Ó Céilleachair for his novel Cúpla and short story ‘An Cluiche Mór’, including audio, the only textbooks in the market to provide these - Dedicated sections on:
– Writing
– Literature
– Grammar - Scaffolded writing tasks accompanied by success criteria, which often link to digital homework as required in the new specification
- Guided oral presentation work and spoken interaction activities with success criteria. These are used to set up new Réamh-MRB tasks, allowing students to prepare for the Classroom-Based Assessments
- Pair and group work opportunities have been integrated throughout the text
- Peer and self-assessment, and reflection activities and tasks are included
- Key vocabulary highlighted throughout, including tasks that encourage dictionary work, and online research
- A useful glossary, with tips on dictionary use and key vocabulary listed
- Extensive listening material covering the main dialects
- New Student Audio App – this free App allows you to listen to audio tracks from the Croí na Gaeilge programme. Just download the Edco Audio App to your mobile or desktop device or listen online
Student Activity Book
Croí na Gaeilge Student Activity Books contains additional, high-quality skills development activities for independent work and homework, including a comprehensive Cluastuiscint section to cater for students’ listening needs.
Novel Portfolio Resource Book (Acmhainn Punainne)
Croí na Gaeilge Novel Portfolio Resource Books contains new grammar reference sheets and useful blank templates for students to complete Réamh-MRB tasks. This book will help students to build up a bespoke portfolio.
Croí na Gaeilge Grammar Glance Cards – a great tool for students
Glance cards come free at the back of the Acmhainn Punainne in an easy-to-use, pull-out format. Click on the image on the right to view.
Teacher’s Resource Book
Croí na Gaeilge Teacher’s Resource Book provides all the support you need to plan your lessons easily. It is a comprehensive and user-friendly teaching resource featuring:
● Guidance on the Junior Cycle Irish specification
● Comprehensive planning support, including a dedicated guide and editable Units of Learning for all units
● Guidance on Assessment, including Unit and Term Tests
● Complete solutions for Textbook and Activity Book exercises and tests
● Audio scripts for all listening material
● Useful templates
Digital Resources
Croí na Gaeilge comes with a wide range of digital resources, all referenced throughout the textbook, including:
- A Student and Quizlet website – www.edco.ie/croinagaeilge1 with interactive grammar and language activities and quizzes
- A series of conversation videos between two students
- Unique vlogs showing students using their Irish-language skills in everyday life
- User-friendly editable PowerPoints on key grammar points, vocabulary and literature for every unit
- Animations that help enhance listening comprehension for every unit
Teachers can access the Croí na Gaeilge interactive e-books at www.edcolearning.ie, plus a bank of free digital resources, including:
- Worksheets
- Audio tracks available online
- Full transcript to all audio recordings
- Full set of solutions for tests and exercises
- Weblinks document
- Editable lesson plans and templates to aid teacher planning
E-Books & Digital Resources Available
About the Authors
Pearse Ahern is a teacher with over 15 years’ experience working in secondary schools and Gaeltacht summer colleges. He was awarded a masters with distinction from St Patrick’s College (DCU), Drumcondra for his thesis on how to improve second language proficiency. He has supervised PME students in UCD, and has developed bilingual educational resources for ESB.
Megan O’Connor is a secondary school Irish teacher who graduated from Trinity College Dublin with an honours degree in Irish and History. She completed the Professional Masters in Education in University College Dublin in 2019. With a significant presence on social media, she has worked on marketing campaigns with Gaelchultúr and Conradh na Gaeilge. Megan’s latest feature in the media was teaching grammar on TG4.