Exploring the Updated Aistear Framework: Seven Key Changes You Should Know

Exploring the Updated Aistear Framework: Seven Key Changes You Should Know

The updated Aistear: the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework reflects both the progress and the evolving priorities of early childhood education in Ireland. Since its original publication in 2009, significant societal and policy developments have taken place—including the emergence of a more professional and highly qualified workforce in the sector.

This refresh of Aistear acknowledges those shifts and places a stronger emphasis on areas that have grown in importance, such as supporting children’s creativity and engagement with the arts, promoting emergent literacy and numeracy, encouraging learning in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and continuing to recognise the crucial role of play-based learning in young children’s development.

Together, these updates reinforce the importance of responsive, holistic learning experiences that reflect both the needs of today’s children and the strengths of those working alongside them.

Seven Key Updates to the Framework

1. Language Shift: From ‘Child’ to ‘Babies, Toddlers, and Young Children’
   One of the most noticeable changes throughout the framework is the replacement of the word “child” with more specific age-related terms: babies, toddlers, and young children. This change reflects a more inclusive and developmentally responsive approach, recognising the distinct stages within early childhood.
2. New Terminology – The Agentic Child and Educator
   The revised framework places a strong emphasis on the agentic child, acknowledging the active role young children play in their own learning. The term agentic educator also appears, highlighting the professional responsibility of educators in creating empowering learning environments. This dual focus encourages a partnership in learning that is both child-led and educator-supported.
3. Integration of Irish Language
   Irish words now feature throughout the document, including within the themes. This is a wonderful step toward embedding Irish identity and culture into everyday practice and encouraging a sense of belonging and pride in young learners.
4. Addition of ‘Transitions’ to the Principles of Early Learning and Development
   Transitions has been added as a new principle, recognising the importance of change and continuity in a child’s early experiences—whether that’s starting preschool, moving rooms, or beginning primary school. This addition is a welcome acknowledgment of how deeply transitions impact a child’s well-being and development.
5. From ‘Equality and Diversity’ to ‘Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’
   Another significant shift appears in the framework’s principles, where “Equality and Diversity” has been updated to “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”. This modernised language better reflects a commitment to justice and fairness in early childhood. Including equity recognises that supporting children means meeting their individual needs and circumstances to ensure everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
6. Core Themes Remain, with Updated Language and Emphasis
   The four original themes—Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Communicating, and Exploring and Thinking—remain central to the framework. While the structure of the themes and aims is largely consistent, the language has been updated throughout to align with the overall shift toward inclusivity, developmental appropriateness, and Irish cultural integration.
7. Learning Goals – Fewer, but Broader
   One of the most significant structural changes is the reduction of the Learning Goals from six to three per theme. The numbering has been removed and replaced with bullet points. While the revised goals still capture the essence of the original six, they also include new ideas and incorporate Irish terminology. This broader, more flexible format may better reflect the diversity of early learning experiences in Ireland today.

These updates go beyond terminology—they represent a progressive vision for early childhood education in Ireland. The revised Aistear calls for all educators to be agentic, competent, and confident, placing value on the significance of relationships and nurturing care, as well as the clear intention of wanting each baby, toddler, and young child to thrive and flourish.

As educators begin to engage with the revised framework, it’s an ideal moment to reflect on how our environments, documentation, and interactions can truly support agency, inclusion, and creativity in every learning experience.