Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework Principles and Themes

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Aistear the Early Childhood Curriculum
FrameworkPrinciples and Themes
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Overview of presentation

• Purpose
• To introduce Aistear the Early Childhood
  Curriculum Framework
• To look in detail at the Frameworks
• Principles
• Themes

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Aistear, a journey ....

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For whom? Why?

• Aistear
• is for all children from birth to six years.
• can be used in the range of settings
• childminding settings
• sessional services
• full and part-time daycare settings
• infant classes in primary schools
• childrens own homes.
• helps children to grow and develop as confident
  and competent learners.

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Aistear - Whats in it?
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Principles and Themes
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Aistears 12 principles
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Principle Play and hands-on experiences

• Much of childrens early learning and development
  takes place through play and hands-on
  experiences. Through these, children explore
  social, physical and imaginary worlds. These
  experiences help them to manage their feelings,
  develop as thinkers and language users, develop
  socially, be creative and imaginative, and lay
  the foundations for becoming effective
  communicators and learners.

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Principle From the childs perspective

• Play is important to me, and it is important for
  my learning and development. Watch how I play,
  and see how you can support me.
• Give me time and space to play with other
  children. When I play with them I learn about
  co-operation, about how to deal with conflict,
  about how others think and feel, and what
  different actions and things mean. You can help
  me to learn when we play together.
• Provide me with objects, toys and equipment that
  reflect my own and others cultures. Let me
  experience the different types of play
• Involve me in lots of meaningful, hands-on
  experiences in order to learn, to develop, and to
  become independent. ...

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Aistears themes
Identity and Belonging
Well-being
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Aistears themes
Exploring and Thinking
Communicating
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Presenting childrens learning and development
through themesa) dispositions b) skillsc)
attitudes and valuesd) knowledge and
understandings
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Theme Well-being

• Children will
• be strong psychologically and socially
• be as healthy and fit as can be
• be creative and spiritual
• develop positive outlooks on learning and on life

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Theme Identity and Belonging

• Children will
• develop strong self-identities and feel respected
  and affirmed as individuals
• have a sense of group identity where links with
  their family and community are acknowledged and
  extended
• express their rights and respect the identity,
  rights and views of others
• see themselves as capable learners

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Theme Communicating

• Children will
• develop non-verbal communication skills
• use language with growing confidence and
  competence
• make sense of their experiences through language
• express themselves creatively and imaginatively

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Theme Exploring and Thinking

• Children will
• develop increasingly complex strategies for
  observing, thinking, exploring, understanding,
  and
• problem-solving
• use symbolic representation
• learn about and make sense of the world
• develop a positive image of themselves as
  learners, and come to see themselves as explorers
  and thinkers

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Sample learning opportunities

• Each theme
• has ideas and suggestions for experiences and
  activities
• presents sample learning opportunities for 3
  overlapping age groups

Toddlers 12 months to 3 years
Babies birth to 18 months
Young children 2½ to 6 years
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Find out more

• National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
  (NCCA)
• 24 Merrion Square, Dublin 2
• W www.ncca.ie/earlylearning and
  www.ncca.ie/aisteartoolkit
• E earlylearning_at_ncca.ie