Aistear Blogs

As agentic professionals, educators play an important role in actively supporting, planning for and documenting the early learning and development of babies, toddlers and young children. This blog, explores how Aistear’s Reflective Cycle of Planning and Assessing, empowers educators to notice, nurture, respond and reflect in their daily practice. It invites educators to consider how they might slow down in their interactions with babies, toddlers, young children and their families, and reflect on how the cycle can come to life in daily practice. The approach to engaging with the reflective cycle is intentionally flexible allowing educators to engage with it in ways that reflect the unique context of their setting.

Grounded in slow relational pedagogy, this approach to planning and assessing reminds educators to pause and be present, to notice what babies, toddlers and young children are communicating, to nurture their ideas and strengths, to respond thoughtfully, and to reflect on what this means when planning for their learning and development.

Using Aistear’s Themes and Learning Goals as a foundation, educators plan and assess in ways that build an emergent and inquiry-based curriculum that is informed by babies, toddlers and young children’s curiosities, questions and explorations. This ongoing cycle of noticing, nurturing, responding and reflecting helps educators stay attuned to the needs, rights and interests of babies, toddlers and young children.

Let’s take a closer at each stage of the reflective cycle and explore what it means in everyday practice.

• Noticing is when the educator takes time to really see what the baby, toddler or young child is interested in and communicating through their play, gestures, words and relationships. Consider what catches the educator’s attention – perhaps a repeated action, a new skill or a new word. In practice, the educator records the moment noticed by describing what the baby, toddler or young child was doing or communicating and notes the dispositions, skills, attitudes, values or knowledge that were evident.
• Nurturing is recognising, naming and affirming the learning that is happening in the moment. It involves the educator engaging meaningfully with the baby, toddler or young child through interactions that support connection and curiosity. In practice, the educator makes the learning potential visible. What matters most is that they recognise the significance of the moment and respond in ways that supports the baby, toddler or young child’s rights and agency.
• Responding is planning for and extending learning by following the baby, toddler or young child’s lead. It can take many forms - sometimes through small, subtle actions, and other times through more intentional experiences such as adding different resources or provocations to support a new line of inquiry or emerging interest. In practice, the educator may create responsive provocations, plan a follow-up experience, or simply offer encouragement through a smile or nod. Each response reinforces the baby, toddler or young child’s agency and engagement, showing that their ideas and interests are valued.
• Reflecting is about making sense of the learning that has taken place. The educator might consider what worked well and why, what they learned about the baby, toddler or young child’s dispositions, interests or relationships and how they might extend or adapt their approach next time. In practice, reflecting , whether through quiet thought, discussion or written notes, offers valuable insight and helps shape future planning in meaningful, responsive ways.

Documenting learning and development can happen at all stages of the reflective cycle. It is an ongoing process that captures the evolving story of each baby, toddler and young child’s early learning journey, while also linking meaningfully to the Principles and Themes of Aistear. It highlights their interests, inquiries, developing dispositions, values and attitudes along with examples of their explorations, curiosities and learning experiences. Wherever possible, the baby, toddler and young child’s voice is included – through their words, drawings, paintings or photos they’ve chosen themselves. The educator considers how the documentation will guide next steps and how it will be shared with families or colleagues to support the baby, toddler or young child’s ongoing learning and development.

It's important to remember that the Reflective Cycle of Planning and Assessing will look different in every early years setting. Each context - and each group of babies, toddlers and young children - is unique. What matters most is that educators engage with the cycle in ways that are meaningful and relevant to their daily practice. By using their professional judgement to interpret the cycle, educators ensure it remains flexible, practical and responsive to the realities of everyday practice.

Resources, examples and guidance to support the use of the Reflective Cycle are currently in development and will be available in 2026—stay tuned!

Read the next blog in our series here.

Read the previous blog in our series here.