Niamh Fortune

Niamh Fortune is an Associate Professor in the Froebel Department, specialising in the area of literacy. Niamh is Head of Department 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 student theses in the department. Niamh supervises students on placement in mainstream settings and additional educational needs settings.
Before taking on the role of Head of Department, Niamh was the BEd Programme Leader. This role included inducting incoming year 1 BEd students the Froebel Department. As Programme Leader she reviewed modules and developed 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 was 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 is a member of a wide range of academic, professional and administrative committees including the Academic Council, Faculty Executive and the Turn to Teaching Steering Committee in Maynooth.

Niamh’s research interests include the teaching of writing, reading for pleasure and literacy and play. Niamh's formative years as teacher and trainer nurtured a deep interest in how children learn to read and her current research focus is on teacher efficacy in the teaching of reading.