Mé Féin agus Mo Chlann

Overview

Ceacht Gaeilge ó bhéal do Rang a Cúig, ag forbairt teanga chun labhairt fúthu féin agus faoina dteaghlach. Úsáidfear samhaltú, obair bheirte, gluaiseacht agus comhrá gearr chun muinín agus cruinneas a fhorbairt.

Learning intentions

• Students will use simple Gaeilge to introduce themselves.
• Students will name family members using the correct words.
• Students will ask and answer questions about family.
• Students will listen respectfully and respond to classmates.

Success criteria

• I can say my name, age and where I live.
• I can use family vocabulary in a complete sentence.
• I can ask and answer “Cé hé/sí?” and “Cé mhéad duine atá i do theaghlach?”
• I can speak clearly and listen while another person is talking.

Curriculum links

• Oral language: listening, understanding and responding in Gaeilge.
• Oral language: using appropriate vocabulary and sentence structures to communicate personal information.
• Interaction: taking turns, asking questions and sustaining a short conversation.
• Official curriculum alignment could not be verified from available evidence; this is a useful topic-level lesson based on the requested Gaeilge oral focus.

Lesson structure (58 minutes)

1. 0–5 minutes – Fáilte and oral hook Open with the family photo hook slide. Show a colourful, inclusive family image and ask: “Cé atá sa phictiúr?” and “Cé mhéad duine atá sa teaghlach?” Accept single-word answers initially, then model full sentences.

2. 5–13 minutes – Teacher modelling and vocabulary Use the vocabulary and sentence-model slides to introduce and revise: mé féin, mo mháthair, m’athair, mo dheartháir, mo dheirfiúr, mo sheanmháthair, mo sheanathair, m’uncail, m’aintín, mo chol ceathrar and mo theaghlach. Model: “Is mise Seán. Tá mé deich mbliana d’aois. Tá mé i mo chónaí i…” and “Seo mo mháthair.” Students repeat with actions, choral response and individual volunteers.

3. 13–21 minutes – Listening and movement check Play a teacher-read listening game using the listen-and-move slides. Read statements such as “Tá deartháir agam” or “Tá ceathrar i mo theaghlach.” Students show agreement with a thumbs-up, move to one side of the room, or remain seated. Clarify pronunciation and meaning without requiring students to disclose personal information.

4. 21–32 minutes – Supported pair practice Distribute the personal introduction and family sentence worksheet. Students complete the sentence frames privately, choosing real or imaginary family details. In pairs, Student A asks: “Cad is ainm duit?”, “Cén aois thú?”, “Cá bhfuil tú i do chónaí?” and “Cé mhéad duine atá i do theaghlach?” Student B answers using the frames, then swap roles. Encourage eye contact, turn-taking and Gaeilge as the main classroom language.

5. 32–44 minutes – Family information exchange Organise groups of four. Each student gives a short introduction and says two or three sentences about a real or fictional family. Students may use the worksheet as a prompt. Use the discussion sentence stem desk mat on desks to support phrases such as “Abair arís, le do thoil”, “Tuigim” and “Is maith liom an smaoineamh sin.” Partners listen and ask one follow-up question.

6. 44–53 minutes – Pair performance and feedback Use the speaking-task and feedback slides to display the success criteria. Pairs perform their dialogue for another pair, not necessarily for the whole class. Listeners give one positive comment in Gaeilge, for example “Bhí do chuid Gaeilge soiléir” or “D’úsáid tú abairt iomlán.” The teacher circulates, records evidence and briefly supports pronunciation.

7. 53–58 minutes – Plenary and exit response Return to the plenary question slide. Invite students to complete orally: “Inniu d’fhoghlaim mé…” or “Is féidir liom…” Select several volunteers. Collect the worksheet or ask students to circle the sentence they can now say confidently.

Resources

• the Gaeilge oral lesson slide deck
• the personal introduction and family sentence worksheet
• the discussion sentence stem desk mat
• Whiteboard and markers
• Visual timer
• Optional mini whiteboards
• Pencils and coloured pencils

Assessment

• Listen for accurate use of personal and family vocabulary during pair work.
• Use a simple class checklist: asks a question, answers in a sentence, uses family vocabulary, listens and takes turns.
• Review worksheet sentence frames and note students who need further practice with pronunciation, numbers or possessive forms.

Differentiation

• Support: provide a word bank, picture cues, colour-coded sentence frames and the option to describe an imaginary family. Allow rehearsal with a trusted partner before speaking.
• Dyslexia-friendly access: use a clear sans-serif font, large print, generous spacing, short lines and no unnecessary copying. Read all written instructions aloud and accept oral responses instead of extended writing.
• EAL/SEN: pre-teach vocabulary with gestures and images, model each question slowly, allow extra processing time and pair students strategically. Students may point to prompts before producing the sentence.
• Extension: confident students add ages or descriptions, for example “Tá mo dheirfiúr ocht mbliana d’aois” or “Is duine cineálta é mo sheanathair,” and ask an additional follow-up question.