Maynooth University Faculty of Social Sciences

Niamh Fortune is an Associate Professor in the Froebel Department, specialising in the area of literacy. Niamh is the Bachelor of Education Programme Leader and teaches language and literacy to undergraduate and postgraduate students in education.

Niamh qualified as a primary school teacher and has a broad range of teaching experiences. She previously worked as a cuiditheoir in English with the Primary Curriculum Support Programme. She designed the in-service for the 1999 Drama curriculum as part of the PCSP Drama team. In 2008 Niamh joined the Froebel Department as a lecturer in English Methods. Niamh supervises BEd and MEd theses in the department. She is a member of the School Placement committee and the Froebel Gift committee and secretary for the Academic Committee. Niamh supervises students on placement in mainstream and special educational needs school settings.

Niamh’s role as BEd Programme Leader includes inducting incoming year 1 BEd students into the Froebel Department. This role also includes coordinating the delivery and assessment of over fifty modules in the Bachelor of Education degree. As Programme Leader she reviews modules and develops the BEd as outlined by the Teaching Council and the Department’s Froebel ethos. Liaising with full time and part time staff along with external examiners and external stakeholders is an integral part of the role.
 
Niamh is Past President on two occasions and Executive Committee member of The Literacy Association of Ireland. As part of this role she organised international Literacy conferences. Most recently Niamh was a member of the design team of the Primary Language Curriculum (2019) with the NCCA. She has designed and delivered a number of workshops with Kildare Libraries for parents and teachers, workshops for newly qualified teachers with the National Induction Programme and continuous professional development for local schools.

Niamh’s research interests include the teaching of writing, reading for pleasure and literacy and play. She has a keen interest in children’s literature and enjoys reading children’s books aloud to anyone who will listen!