First 5
First 5 is a whole-of-Government strategy to improve the lives of babies, young children and their families. It is a ten-year plan to help make sure all children have positive early experiences and get a great start in life.
To view First 5 Continuous Professional Development, click on the link below:
Síolta and Aistear
Followed by Aistear the Early Years Curriculum Framework for children from birth to six years in Ireland developed by NCCA in 2009 and updated in 2024.
Since December 2008, the Early Years Education Policy Unit, in the Department of Education and Skills, has been responsible for the implementation of Síolta. Early Childhood Care and Education services participating in the Free Pre-School Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme are required to “adhere to the principles of Síolta”.
Core Elements of Síolta
Core Elements of Aistear
The National Council for Curriculum Assessment (NCCA) developed Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (2009) in partnership with the early childhood sector. Parents played a key role in this. Effective early childhood settings and schools take account of the influence of the home on children’s learning and they build on the experience children bring to the setting or school. Establishing strong links with parents helps make children’s education as successful as possible.
Highlighting the fact that children learn many different things at the same time, the Framework uses four interconnected themes to describe the content of children’s learning and development:-
Well-being
Identity and Belonging
Communicating
Exploring and Thinking
Aistear through the four themes, Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Exploring and Thinking and Communicating, seeks to create competent and confident learners.
Updated Aistear for the Early Learning and Childcare Sector
An updated version of Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework has been prepared by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and has now been published online.
For information on the updated Aistear Curriculum Framework, the press release and communication with information on key dates, resources and information sessions for early years educators, Family and Child Guides, ongoing supports, and more see here:
Aistear, the Irish word for journey, was Ireland’s first curriculum framework for early childhood education when it was introduced in 2009. This is the first update since then and it will come into effect in September 2025.
The updated Aistear is for all children from birth to six years in all settings other than primary and special schools. It can be used by anyone who supports babies, toddlers and young children’s learning and development such as parents, childminders and early years educators.
One of the key changes in the updated Aistear is that words, phrases and proverbs “as Gaeilge” (in Irish) are embedded throughout to promote their use by educators as they interact with babies, toddlers and young children every day.
Greater emphasis has also been placed on experiences that support children’s creativity and their engagement with the arts, emergent literacy and numeracy, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. For example, babies, toddlers and young children will be supported to be creative and take the initiative to explore, respond to and express themselves through art, drama, dance or music.
Hard copy dissemination of Aistear
Beginning in March, DCEDIY, in partnership with CCCs, will distribute hard copies of the updated Aistear to early learning and care settings across the country. This ensures that all early years educators will have the updated curriculum framework in their hands for practical reference and implementation.
With the publication of Aistear 2024 (revised), NCCA is publishing several blogs over the coming weeks/months. The blogs discuss the Principles set out in the revised document.
Resources for early years educators:
o Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework
o Aistear – Guidance for Good Practice
o Frequently asked questions about Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework
NCCA Resources and Supports
o Videos: There are two introductory videos available on the NCCA website. One provides a walkthrough of the Aistear curriculum framework, and the other offers an overview of the Principles of Aistear. These videos serve as key starting point for early years educators looking to familiarise themselves with the updated Framework.
o Bi-weekly Blogs: NCCA are currently publishing a series of bi-weekly blogs on their website. These blogs delve into the new concepts and updates in the updated Aistear curriculum framework, providing valuable insights for educators.
o Research Papers: NCCA recently published a paper on ‘Aistear as a Rights-based Early Childhood Curriculum Framework’ and a series of research papers will be published in May 2025 exploring concepts including rights and agency for babies, toddlers and young children, an emergent and inquiry-based curriculum, and sustainability in early childhood education.
Aistear Blogs available now
Aistear highlights the critical role of play, relationships and language for young children’s learning. In doing this, it provides a guide to using play, interactions, and partnerships with parents and assessment to help children progress in their learning and development. The Framework has both implicit and explicit links with the Primary School Curriculum.
For more information and lots of useful resources go to the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and the Aistear Toolkit at link below.
