Aistear Blogs

Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009; GoI, 2024) has consistently emphasised the value of play and playful experiences in early childhood education. Vygotsky recognised the importance of play in learning and development many years ago noting how:

‘In play, a child always behaves beyond their daily behaviour; in play, it is as though they are a head taller than themselves’.

The daily routines and interactions in early childhood settings support babies, toddlers and young children in immersing themselves deeply in play, helping them to understand the complexity of the world around them. For example, it might be:

• Isaac in the baby room, squealing with pure glee as he realises how when the ball disappears down the tube, it will pop out the other end. 
• Síofra in the toddler group, leaning over the swing and back up again, seeing how the garden goes upside down and back again. 
• Aiden in the preschool group, cutting out pictures of tractors from a newspaper, telling his friends about the features of each. 

As an educator, you can see the learning that unfolds during these playful moments and recognise the importance of being present during these experiences, allowing them to naturally evolve. In the above examples: 

• Isaac is coming to understand object permanence in figuring out how the ball continues to exist within the tube, even when he can’t see it. He is exploring STEM concepts in the movement of the ball and the cause and effect of his actions. 
• Síofra is developing her gross motor skills, coordination and balance through her movements on the swing. She is broadening her perspective on the world by examining it from different angles and viewpoints, noticing shapes, colours and tones in the outdoor space. 
• Aiden is bringing his funds of knowledge to his project work telling his friends about tractors and about life on the farm. He is also developing his language and communication skills in his engagement with his peers. 

Aistear values all these moments of play as meaningful learning experiences—moments to be noticed, nurtured and used as prompts to respond to and extend learning in ways that are both meaningful and enjoyable for babies, toddlers and young children.

Aistear presents play through an interconnected flow and blend of free play, guided play and educator-led playful experiences. These moments not happen in a fixed sequence; rather, the daily routine is responsive to the intentional noticing of what matters for babies, toddlers and young children. When educators prepare a learning environment that is engaging, entertaining and appropriately challenging, babies, toddlers and young children can access rich and wonderful learning opportunities through their free play.

By knowing the group of children well, educators can see the value of their play experiences, and identify moments when it may be appropriate to step in – either to guide their play and interactions or to extend their learning. For example, guiding and/or extending play may involve:

• putting language to Isaac’s experiences or offering other resources to his game.
• hanging ribbons or crystals on the trees behind the swing so Síofra can wonder at the motions and movements.
• creating a book of tractors with Aidan, offering him a scrapbook and glue to stick in his pictures while writing down his insights as he tells his friends the important things to know about tractors. 

Guided play nurtures the moment while also being responsive to the potential for extended learning, all the while respecting the child’s experience in that moment. Educator-led play should not be misunderstood as directive or less enjoyable for babies, toddlers, and young children. Nor should it be seen as a large-group “activity.” Instead, educator-led play reflects the educator’s professional knowledge and intentionality in responding to the rights, interests, and needs of each baby, toddler and young child. It can take place with an individual or in a small group, while others remain deeply engaged in free play experiences within the learning environment. For example an educator-led experience is: 

• sitting with Iaasc with pipes in the water tray in the garden and modelling how the cars roll down and splash in the water, building on his interest and fascinations earlier.
• setting up a little obstacle course for Síofra so she can roll over on the mats, climbing over and under, developing her physical skills and insights. 
• looking at a short video clip about life on the farm with Aiden and his friends, sourcing different animals to build their own version in the room, offering opportunity to ‘write’ in their book and draw pictures.

Educator-led play is about knowing what your key group of babies, toddlers or young children want and need, and being deeply attuned to the intentions of your play experiences. By bringing your professional knowledge and skills to your role, you demonstrate a commitment to valuing the learning that occurs through play and playful experiences. The purpose of Aistear is to support learning and development. By noticing the interests and fascinations of babies, toddlers and young children – and understanding what they need to thrive and flourish - educators can plan and prepare for meaningful and joyful play and play experiences in the curriculum.

Read the next blog in our series here.

Read the previous blog in our series here.