SMILE
Supporting multilingual and intercultural learning in the early years
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The project partners were:
Doras
Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board (LCETB)
Limerick City Partnership
University of Limerick (UL)
About this project
The SMILE project
co-developed accessible, culturally responsive, and evidence-informed resources to early language development for multilingual children in Limerick,
engaged multilingual parents and early-years educators to support children’s language development from an early age, and
addressed barriers faced by migrant families.
Workshops were held in multiple languages to reduce barriers and value home languages. They focused on sharing experiences, identifying challenges, and co-creating practical strategies for supporting multilingualism. Creative activities and visual resources were used to ensure accessibility and broad reach.
More about this project
The project produced posters for early-years settings, materials addressing misconceptions about multilingualism, guidance for parents in multiple languages, and a toolkit for educators.
Family literacy supports: accessible guidance materials and multilingual leaflets for parents, promoting home-language maintenance and strategies for everyday language use.
Educator toolkits: posters and guides for educators to create inclusive multilingual environments with families.
Research outputs: findings from participatory workshops informed all resources, grounding them in both research evidence and community experience.