Tollcross, Friday.
How did you come to learn Gaelic?
How did you come to learn Gaelic? I’m from Lewis and Gaelic was my first language. We were brought up speaking it. My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, everyone speaks it. When I went to nursery at the age of 4 I actually had very little English!
What do you like most about being a play leader at Cròileagan?
I enjoy seeing the children grow in confidence as they pick up new words and start to use them. As a trained music teacher, I see song time as an important part of the session. Singing the same songs over and over is a great way for the children to pick up words and phrases without even realising it!
What do you think parents & children enjoy most? / What benefits do you see for the children?
One of the biggest benefits I have seen with my own boys attending Cròileagan actually has nothing to do with Gaelic! It is that they get to know their peers at a really early age and when the time comes to start nursery this is one thing that helps ease the step up. Attending Cròileagan and then going through the Gaelic Medium Unit means that they have friends they have known since they were a year old or younger!
For those children who don’t have Gaelic spoken at home, attending Cròileagan also helps the step up to nursery in that the children get familiar with the language and it’s not some new alien concept to them when they start nursery.
I like to think that the children enjoy craft time and song time and that the parents enjoy getting to do crafts without having to mess up the house! I’m pretty sure that the parents enjoy the friendliness of the group and that snack time (cake time for the adults) is quite popular too!
Useful Croileagan phrase?
Sgoinneil! – Terrific, superb
Playleader Kirsteen Murray
Crois na Cìse gach Dihaoine.
Ciamar a fhuair thu do chuid Ghaidhlig?
‘S e Lèodhasach a th’annam, mar sin b’ e a’ Ghàidhlig a’ chiad cànan a bh’agam. Chaidh ar togail a’ bruidhinn na Gàidhlig. Tha mo phàrantan, na peathraichean is bràithrean acasan, mo shean-phàrantan, a h-uile duine ga bruidhinn! Nuair a chaidh dhan sgoil-àraich aig aois 4, cha robh agam ach beagan Beurla!
Dè as motha as toil leat mu stiùireadh a’ Chròileagain?
Is toil leam a bhith a’ faicinn misneachd na cloinne a’ fàs mar a thogas iad faclan ùra agus mar a thòisicheas iad an cleachdadh. ‘ S e tidsear-ciùil a th’annam agus mar sin cha chreid mi nach eil àm-òrain mar phàirt chudromach den t-seisean. Se dòigh fìor mhath a th’ann an seinn òrain uair is uair eile gus faclan is abairtean a thogail gun fhiosda dhaibh.
Saoil dè as motha a chòrdas ri na pàrantan is clann? / Nad bheachd, dè na buannachdan a th’ann don a’ chlann?
Chan eil gnothaich aig a’ Ghàidhlig ri aon de na buannachdan as motha a mhothaich mi le na gillean agam a’ frithealadh a’ Chròileagain! Se a th’ann ach cuiridh iad eòlas air an co-aoisean aig aois òg agus nuair a thèid iad suas dhan sgoil-àraich se seo an aon rud a th’aca gus an cuideachadh. Tha frithealadh a’ Chròileagain agus an uairsin a dol a-steach gu foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, a’ ciallachadh gum bidh càraidean aca air an robh iad eòlach bhon a bha iad bliadhna a dh’aois no na b’òige.
A thaobh na cloinne aig nach eil Gàidhlig aig an taigh, tha Cròilegan mar chuideachadh dhaibh airson a’ cheim suas aca dhan sgoil-àraich air sgàth’s gum fàs iad cleachdte ris a chànan agus cha bhi i cho coimheach dhaibh nuair a thoisicheas iad an sgoil-àraich.
Tha mi cinnteach gun còrd àm-ealain agus àm-ciùil ris a’ chlann agus is toil le na pàrantan a’ ealain a dhèanamh gun a bhith a’ dèanamh bùrach aig an taigh! Tha mi deimhinnte cuideachd gun còrd càirdeas na buidhne ri na pàrantan agus gu bheil fèill mhòr air àm-bidhe (àm-ceic airson nam pàrant!).
Abairt feumail airson Cròileagan?
Sgoinneil! – Terrific, superb
