Children’s oral language skills serve as the foundation for reading and writing development. It is essential that as infant teachers, we create learning environments that thrive upon interactions, dialogue and playful approaches to language development. Join Clara Fiorentini and Sinéad McCauley Lambe as they explore the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of making chatter matter in your infant classroom.

Bio of Presenters:

Clara Maria Fiorentini

Clara Maria Fiorentini is a lecturer in education at Marino Institute of Education specialising in English Methods and Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining MIE, Clara taught for eleven years in Dominican Primary School, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin throughout which time she developed a keen interest in literacy development and playful pedagogy. Clara completed a Masters in Children’s Literature at DCU and is currently a PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin, Clara is researching early literacy development and transitions to formal literacy learning. The face behind the popular Irish teaching blog www.claramariafiorentini.com, Clara is also an executive committee member of the Literacy Association of Ireland and is co-author of Ireland’s first multisensory phonics programme, Sounds Like Phonics (CJ Fallon, 2019).

Sinead McCauley Lambe

Sinéad McCauley Lambe is a lecturer in education at Marino Institute of Education specialising in Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining MIE, Sinéad taught for eleven years in St. Vincent’s Infant Boys’ school in North William Street. Here, Sinéad moved into resource teaching and worked with children with ASD and those experiencing a wide range of emotional and behavioural difficulties. It was this work that ignited Sinéad’s interest in educational disadvantage, motor development and early intervention. Sinéad completed a Masters in Educational Disadvantage in DCU and is currently a PhD candidate there. Her research interests include infant motor development and emergent handwriting development. Sinéad is an executive committee member of the Literacy Association of Ireland