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What children learn in each class

A plain-English guide to Maths, English and Irish in primary school in Ireland – so you know what your child is working on, from Junior Infants to 6th Class.

Senior Infants · Stage 1 (Junior and Senior Infants) is about play, talk and building confidence. Children learn a lot through games, stories and hands-on activities.

Maths

Primary Mathematics Curriculum (2023)

  • Numbers to 20: counting, reading and writing them
  • Adding and taking away with objects, up to 10
  • First, second, third (ordinal numbers)
  • Sharing equally; halves of objects
  • 3D shapes: cube, sphere, cylinder, cone
  • Measuring with hand spans, cubes and cups
  • Days, months and seasons
  • Coins in a play shop

English

Primary Language Curriculum (2019)

  • Longer conversations and asking questions
  • Retelling a story in order
  • Blending sounds to read simple words
  • Reading simple books and common 'tricky' words
  • Writing simple sentences with a capital letter and full stop
  • Spelling words the way they sound (this is normal!)

Gaeilge (Irish)

Primary Language Curriculum (2019)

  • Short conversations on themes: Mé Féin, Bia, Éadaí, An Aimsir, Sa Bhaile
  • Answering simple questions: An maith leat…? Is maith liom…
  • Weather phrases: Tá sé ag cur báistí, Tá sé fuar
  • Short poems and songs
  • Understanding stories told with pictures

Easy ways to help at home

  • Read stories together every day and talk about the pictures
  • Count everyday things: stairs, apples, cars
  • Sing songs and rhymes – including Irish ones

Good to know

  • The official curriculum sets goals for two-year stages (Infants, 1st–2nd, 3rd–4th, 5th–6th). The points for each class are typical examples – every school plans its own order, so your child may meet some topics a little earlier or later.
  • Children learn at different speeds. If something here seems far ahead of where your child is, that's completely normal – their teacher is happy to help with any questions.
  • Standardised tests in English reading and Maths take place at the end of 2nd, 4th and 6th Class.
  • In Gaelscoileanna and Gaeltacht schools, children learn through Irish, so their Irish is usually well ahead of this guide.

Sources: Primary Mathematics Curriculum (2023) and Primary Language Curriculum (2019), NCCA – curriculumonline.ie. More parent resources: ncca.ie/en/primary/resources-for-parents.