Using ICT to support learning
Using ICT enriches learning by giving students interactive tools, instant access to information, and personalised feedback, fostering collaboration, digital literacy, and real-world problem solving. Our pupils find it really motivating and engaging.
Play time
Free play, exploration of play materials, and sensory play are essential for children's development because they support self-regulation, sustained focus, and deep concentration while fostering imagination. When children freely engage with a variety of textures, loose parts, and open-ended materials, they learn to manage emotions, take turns, and follow their own curiosity—skills that underpin emotional and cognitive regulation. Sensory experiences ground attention and help children practice concentrating on tasks for longer periods, while exploratory play encourages problem-solving and flexible thinking as they test ideas and invent scenarios. Together, these forms of play create a safe, stimulating environment where regulation, focused attention, and imaginative creativity grow in tandem, laying a strong foundation for learning and social interaction.
Life cycle of butterfly
We have been learning about the life cycle of the butterfly through stories, art, and sensory play. We enjoyed reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Crunching Munching Caterpillar, helping us to develop our understanding of how butterflies grow and change.
During an Attention Autism session, pupils took turns pretending to be caterpillars eating leaves before transforming into butterflies, supporting communication, attention, imagination, and turn-taking skills. With the help of some Sixth Class pupils, we also created clay caterpillars and explored the butterfly life cycle through apple printing and colourful butterfly art. Sadly our clay caterpillars didn't survive the drying process.
These engaging activities provided valuable opportunities for learning while developing social, sensory, fine motor, and communication skills.
Tennis
We have been getting tennis lessons from a visiting coach each week. Exploring with the tennis rackets and balls helps to improve hand-eye coordination, balance, motor planning and concentration. Most importantly, it promotes confidence, enjoyment and positive participation in physical activity.
Horse riding in Derryham Stables
A huge thank you to Nicola at Derryham stables for welcoming us back this year and to the team of transition year students from Bailieboro that volunteered to help support our pupils during their 6 lessons.
Horse riding can support the development of balance, coordination, core strength, and motor skills, while also promoting confidence, independence, and self-esteem. The rhythmic movement of the horse can have a calming effect, helping to support sensory regulation and emotional wellbeing. Horse riding also encourages communication, listening skills, turn-taking, and the ability to follow instructions in a meaningful real-life setting, making it a valuable and enjoyable activity for many pupils.
Cooking up a storm in Cairde 1
Our junior pupils love getting into the kitchen to cook and bake regularly. Getting pupils involved in cooking and baking can support a wide range of developmental, social, and life skills. It is often a highly motivating, hands-on activity that naturally incorporates learning across many areas such as measuring, mixing, pouring and decorating. It helps to develop important life skills while having fun. Cooking activities provide opportunities to practise communication, turn-taking, following instructions and early numeracy skills in a meaningful, hands-on way. Pupils show great enthusiasm and independence throughout, taking pride in creating and sharing their delicious treats. 🍪🧁
Recently, we have made sesame noodles, pizza and brown bread. Nobody was too impressed with the noodles unfortunately.
Attention Autism Session- Lá Glas
The purpose of our Attention Autism session was for pupils to willingly come and sit for the session in anticipation of shared fun times. The sessions are made up of four different stages aimed at increasing pupil attention and engagement.
Stage 1- The bucket stage is used to grab their attention with fun interesting objects.
Stage 2- The attention builder stage is a little longer. Today, we had a pom pom rocket launcher.
Stage 3- Turn taking and re-engaging stage. Today’s stage 3 was taking turns singing a flag song and waving Irish flags.
Stage 4- Shifting and re-engaging attention- Children took turns spinning green paint on a turntable to make a splatting green mess.
Love is in the air
Valentine’s activities this week:
-Making playdough hearts and adding beads to decorate
-Story- K is for kissing a cool kangaroo
-Making playdough sweets
-Making Valentine’s toast and adding our favourite toppings
-Making hearts using Magnetic Tiles
-Practicing our sight words, spelling and writing using magnetic letters and whiteboards
Science Experiment- Pencil through a bag
Today we investigated two different types of plastic; a balloon and a ziploc bag. We predicted what would happen if we pushed a pencil through both types of plastic. The balloon popped immediately. We filled the bag with water and made predictions. Some people expected the bag to pop but to our surprise it didn’t. We repeated the experiment with varying results each time.
New month, new learning- First week of February 2026
We are still working on following procedures in Cairde 1. This week we followed our visual recipe for chocolate rice krispie buns. Everybody loved this activity. We made foamy bubbles with a food mixer for our sensory play. It was too wet to use the outdoor playground for reverse integration this week so we played parachute games in the hall instead. Some pupils are working on spelling and using a calendar. We are continuing to work on communicating using AAC devices (Augmentive and Alternative Communication).
Ending January on a high
Despite two school closures, we still had a very busy week. We were back in the kitchen where we followed visual recipes to make smoothies. Not everybody wanted to taste them but everybody was very interested in the process. We delivered the spare blueberry and banana smoothie to Cairde 2 to sample. We also made lava lamp solution using oil, milk and food colouring. As it will be St.Brigid's Day next week, we collected rushes on our walk. Then we made crosses with our friends from senior infants during reverse integration. We later went to some of the classes to show them off.
Jumping into January 2026
We have been learning all about the number 7. We have also been working on the letter J so we made jiggly jelly with a focus on following written procedures. Some pupils have been working on putting words together to make sentences. Everybody loves sensory play in Cairde 1. So far this month, we have added little balls to slime, glitter to water and dyed rice different colours. We have also been trying out the use of therapy bands to help us complete our OT exercises and regulate our bodies when they don’t feel calm.
Cairde 1 Christmas Corridor
We have been very busy bringing the Christmas spirit to our corridor. Check out some of our artwork.
Music Generation
We loved playing the xylophone and learning the names of the musical notes.
Reading games
Exploring sound using sound balls. We then added paint to see the patterns we could make when we rolled the balls.
Oral language lesson- at the doctor
