Aistear and Síolta

Aistear is the curriculum framework for babies, toddlers and young children from birth to six years in Ireland. It provides information for adults to help them plan for and provide enjoyable and challenging learning experiences, so that all babies, toddlers and young children can grow and develop as competent and confident learners within loving relationships with others. Aistear describes the types of learning (dispositions, values and attitudes, skills, knowledge, and understanding) that are important for babies, toddlers and young children in their early years, and offers ideas and suggestions as to how this learning might be nurtured. The Framework also provides guidelines on supporting babies, toddlers and young children’s learning through partnerships with parents, interactions, play, and assessment.

In supporting babies, toddlers and young children’s early learning and development Aistear

• Identifies what and how babies, toddlers and young children should learn, and describes the types of experiences that can support this

• Makes connections in babies, toddlers and young children’s learning throughout the early childhood years and as they move from one setting to another

• Supports parents as their babies, toddlers and young children’s primary educators during early childhood, and promotes effective partnerships between parents and practitioner

• Complements and extends existing curriculums and materials

• Informs practice across a range of settings, disciplines and professions, and encourages interdisciplinary work.

An updated version of Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework has been prepared by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and was published this week. You can access the framework here, the guidance document here and the FAQ document here.

The website is available in English and Irish.

Updates include:

• Aistear retains the similar structure of the original Framework.
• The Principles of early learning and development have been reduced from 12 to nine.
• The Themes of Wellbeing, Identity and Belonging, Communicating and Exploring and Thinking have been retained and updated.
• The number of Learning Goals within each Aim of the Themes has been reduced. They remain broad, but observable statements that support babies, toddlers and young children’s learning and development.
• Those using the Framework, including parents, childminders and early years educators are referred to as ‘educators’.
• There is an acknowledgement of Irish cultural and linguistic history and story. Irish words, phrases and proverbs have been embedded throughout the Framework