The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework
Play is one of the key contexts for children’s early learning and development. Through relationships in play, children develop and demonstrate improved verbal communication, high levels of social and interaction skills, creative use of play materials, imaginative thinking and problem-solving capacities.
Teachers plan for the play to enable the children’s learning using ‘Aistear’ as a curriculum framework for children from birth to 6 years in Ireland. More detailed information about ‘Aistear’ can be found on the website www.ncca.ie/aisteartoolkit showing how important play is for children’s learning and development.
In Our Lady Of Victories Infant School, we are still in the early stages of introducing Aistear into our junior and senior infant classes.
During ‘Aistear’ the teacher provides rich environments where the children are able to explore, touch, manipulate and experiment with a variety of real life and diverse materials. Children ask questions, make predictions and develop their thinking. They learn together with others. The environment offers opportunities to actively explore, to work independently and with others, to make decisions and follow through on their ideas, to solve problems, to engage in real life activities and to experience co-operative, symbolic, dramatic or pretend play.
Teachers plan for the play to enable the children’s learning using ‘Aistear’ as a curriculum framework for children from birth to 6 years in Ireland. More detailed information about ‘Aistear’ can be found on the website www.ncca.ie/aisteartoolkit showing how important play is for children’s learning and development.
In Our Lady Of Victories Infant School, we are still in the early stages of introducing Aistear into our junior and senior infant classes.
During ‘Aistear’ the teacher provides rich environments where the children are able to explore, touch, manipulate and experiment with a variety of real life and diverse materials. Children ask questions, make predictions and develop their thinking. They learn together with others. The environment offers opportunities to actively explore, to work independently and with others, to make decisions and follow through on their ideas, to solve problems, to engage in real life activities and to experience co-operative, symbolic, dramatic or pretend play.
The structure of ‘Aistear’ time is as follows:
Time for play
‘Aistear’ recommends an hour of play each day. Children plan together in a ‘huddle’ (5 mins); play (40 – 45mins); tidy up (5 – 10mins); review their play (5 – 10mins)
Organising Play
The research behind Aistear states that for play to be most beneficial it is important for children to be able to choose how they play and with whom. Play offers an opportunity for children to explore and build on the curriculum objects taught throughout the day. We encourage children to explore different types of play by setting up areas that encourage role-play, construction, junk art, creative play, small world, sand/soil/water, jigsaws, play dough and mark-making/writing.
Supporting the child’s learning through play
The role of the teacher while the children are playing is very important. We participate in the play without interrupting their own play; sometimes the teacher is ‘in role’ in the dramatic area or modelling specific language; asking questions; monitoring the play; observing the children and documenting their play through notes, photos and videos. Most importantly we try to facilitate their play by offering them open-ended resources to support their own imaginative play.
Reviewing play
Review happens daily via ‘show and tell’; discussing the photographs of their play; groups discussing what worked well / any difficulties they experienced; and via interviews with children.
Time for play
‘Aistear’ recommends an hour of play each day. Children plan together in a ‘huddle’ (5 mins); play (40 – 45mins); tidy up (5 – 10mins); review their play (5 – 10mins)
Organising Play
The research behind Aistear states that for play to be most beneficial it is important for children to be able to choose how they play and with whom. Play offers an opportunity for children to explore and build on the curriculum objects taught throughout the day. We encourage children to explore different types of play by setting up areas that encourage role-play, construction, junk art, creative play, small world, sand/soil/water, jigsaws, play dough and mark-making/writing.
Supporting the child’s learning through play
The role of the teacher while the children are playing is very important. We participate in the play without interrupting their own play; sometimes the teacher is ‘in role’ in the dramatic area or modelling specific language; asking questions; monitoring the play; observing the children and documenting their play through notes, photos and videos. Most importantly we try to facilitate their play by offering them open-ended resources to support their own imaginative play.
Reviewing play
Review happens daily via ‘show and tell’; discussing the photographs of their play; groups discussing what worked well / any difficulties they experienced; and via interviews with children.
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