Aistear is the curriculum framework for children from birth to 6 years. It provides information for adults to help them plan for and provide enjoyable and challenging experiences so that all children can grow and develop as competent and confident learners within loving relationships with others.
In St Mary’s, Aistear begins in the final term of Junior Infants. It continues through to Senior Infants and 1st Class. It is a fantastic way of developing Oral language skills, vocabulary development and cross curricular integration. It develops social skills and confidence, especially amongst our EAL children. We have a dedicated Aistear room and there are books to support each theme.
Aistear celebrates early childhood as a time of being, and of enjoying and learning from experiences as they unfold. It is underpinned by 12 interconnecting principles presented in 3 groups:
- Children and their lives in early childhood
- Children’s connections with others
- How children learn and develop
Each principle is presented using a short statement. This is followed by an explanation of the principle from the child’s perspective. This explanation highlights the adult’s role in supporting children’s early learning and development. The framework uses the following interconnectedly to describe children’s learning and development:
- Well-being
- Identity and Belonging
- Communicating
- Exploring and Thinking.
