CURRICULUM PLANNING

TEMPLATES

&

EXAMPLES

Long-term Planning

Siolta’s standards and the Aistear National Curriculum Framework guides our practice, through positive

consultation with parents, family and the community, we aim to promote each child’s sense of identity and

well-being. Through our knowledge and understanding of how children learn and develop, we facilitate

each child to share and communicate their ideas, whilst they explore and problem solve through

meaningful play experiences.

Using the 4 themes of Aistear we encourage each child to be confident and competent learners:

1. Exploring & Thinking: Supporting children to make sense of things, places and the people in their

world.

2. Communication: Supporting children to share their experiences, thoughts, ideas and feelings with

others.

3. Well-being. Supporting children to be confident, happy and healthy individuals

4. Identity and Belonging: Supporting children to develop a positive sense of identity where each child

feels valued and respected as part of a family and community.

Medium-term Planning

Age Group:

General Developmental Goals:

Festivals/ Celebrations:

Interest – based Projects:

Aistear is reflected in our weekly curriculum planning

State time period:

Daily Curriculum Plan

Time Activities Links with Aistear

Arrival Welcome Well-being: Aim 1, LG 2 & 3

Breakfast Socialising, conversations, settling in….. Well-being: Aim 2, LG 6

Free Play

Indoor/Outdoor

Children choose what materials/equipment to play with– availability and accessibility to interest

areas in the room.

Exploring & Thinking

Aim 3 LG, 4 Aim 2 LG, 3 & 4,

Circle Time An opportunity to consult with the children about their interests or tell a story that leads onto your

next activity. Talk about upcoming celebrations, project theme, news, songs, music etc…

Communicating: Aim 4

LG 1 & 5

Identity & Belonging: Aim 2 LG1 & Aim 3 LG 1.

Project

activity Idea

Your planned project/activity idea: This comes from your Short-Term planning Aistear Themes, Aims and Learning Goals are

incorporated into our short term planning and linked to

each project/activity idea

Lunch

/Dinner

Socialising , Health and Well-being Communicating : Aim 2, LG 1.

Well-being: Aim 1, LG 2 & 3 & Aim 2 LG 6

Free play/Planned activity

indoor/outdoor play.

This could be an opportunity for you to observe and/or play alongside individual children, gather

information for future activities. Perhaps you may want to continue your project /activity idea.

Display and document the children’s learning and work.

Aistear Themes, Aims and Learning Goals are

incorporated into our short term planning and linked to

each project/activity idea

Winding down! This could range from a variety of activity ideas: Storytelling, music, dancing, exercising,

meditation, sensory play, arts &c crafts etc..

Well-being: Aim 2 LG 2 & 6

Home time Preparing for home-time - Meeting with parents, communication books… Well-being: Aim 1, LG 1

Daily Curriculum Plan

Time Activities Links with Aistear

.

Short-term Activity Planning

Monday ../../14 Tuesday ../../14 Wednesday ../../14 Thursday../../14 Friday ../../14

Schema/Interest observed

Bugs & Insects

Schema/Interest observed

Bugs & Insects

Schema/Interest observed

Bugs & Insects

Seasonal Celebration

Getting ready for Easter

Seasonal Celebration

Easter Egg Hunt

Aistear Links:

C, A 4, LG, 1 & 3

Aistear Links Aistear Links: Aistear Links: Aistear Links:

Activity

Bugs & Insects: Looking at bugs

and insects outside with the

magnifying glass.

Activity

Bugs & Insects: Outdoor

and arts & crafts activity;

building houses for the bugs

& insects.

Activity

Bugs & Insects: Finding out

about the living habits of

the spider, centipede &

worm. Using videos, books,

internet etc.

Activity

Getting ready for Easter Egg

Hunt – preparing clues, map

making, cutting out egg

shapes etc…

Activity

Extension Ideas:

Going outdoors and building

house/huts for the bugs &

insects using junk & natural

material.

Extension Ideas

Research project:

Finding out more about the

s the spider, centipede &

worm.

Extension Ideas;

Group Learning Story;

Putting together our

learning story about bugs &

insects – what we have

learned?

Extension Ideas

Include an obstacle type

course

Extension Ideas

Week No: Age group:

Short-term Activity Planning

Monday ../../.. Tuesday ../../.. Wednesday ../../.. Thursday ../../.. Friday ../../..

Interestbased/dev.goals/

seasonal celebration.

Interestbased/dev.goals/

seasonal celebration.

Interestbased/dev.goals/

seasonal celebration.

Interestbased/dev.goals/s

easonal celebration.

Interestbased/dev.goals/

seasonal celebration.

Aistear Links:

Aistear Links Aistear Links: Aistear Links: Aistear Links:

Activity

Activity Activity Activity Activity

Extension Ideas:

Extension Ideas

Extension Ideas; Extension Ideas Extension Ideas

Week No: Age group:

Guidelines: Short-term Project/Activity Planning

A. Planned Activities: A themed project that is based on the children’s interests or seasonal celebration.

B. Individual / Group Goal/s…..(knowing the stages of play – can help)

C. Plan the activities, you can refer to the following interest areas as a guide:

• Role Play/Home Corner

• Constructive Play/ Small World Play/Block Play etc

• Creative Activity: Sensory Play , Arts & Crafts, Sand & Water

• Music and/or Movement

• Story-time

• Outdoor Play – Physical Play

D. Link activities to Aistear’s Themes: Aims & Learning Goals

E. List equipment needed

F. Health & Safety Considerations

G. Possible Challenges / Questions to ask…

Short -term Project/ Activity Plan

What we know already…

Schema/Interest observed: Animals in the Jungle

Age Group: Age 2.5 yrs old

Stage of Play observed: Parallel Play

Specific Learning Goals: An open-ended activity that will

encourage self-expression and the opportunity for

cooperative thinking. (associative play)

Project Idea:

“Going to the Jungle”

Picture/story book or

video – of different

jungle animals.

Music & Movement -

Play different types of

music – child acts out

different animals while

listening to the music.

Aistear Aim s& Learning Goals

Aistear Links : C, A 4, LG, 1 & 3.

Week 3 Date/s:

Health & Safety

Considerations

Remove tripping

hazards

Equipment Needed

Camera: to take

photographs of the

children.

Storybook: “The Dancing

Tiger”

CD: Different types of

music, lots of space,

scarves, instruments-

Questions to ask the children

I wonder how the animal will

move to this music?

I wonder what will the animal

do next?

Is your body moving fast or

slow?

Possible Challenges:

Motivating the children’s

interest. Some children

could feel overwhelmed–

provide time and security

(soft music first).

Reflect on Activity

Extension ideas

/Opportunities for change

Going outdoors and building

house/huts for the jungle

animals using junk material

Short-term Project/Activity Plan

What we know already…

Seasonal Celebration: Easter (Easter Bunny: for Babies)

Schema/Interest observed: The children love peek a boo

games

Stage of Play observed: 0-6 months: Exploratory & Sensory

play.

Specific Learning Goals: Communication skills: anticipation,

eye contact, listening and responding to non-verbal cues.

Project Idea:

Tell a story about the “lost

rabbit”. Show the rabbit to

the child. Hide the rabbit

under the scarf (The rabbit

is lost) build anticipation,

the child listen for the

musical shaker (this guides

the child to where the

rabbit is hiding) wait and

follow the child’s cues.

When the child finds the

scarf, allow the child to pull

the scarf and find the

rabbit.

Aistear Links:

IB: A 2, LG 4. A 4, LG 4.

Week: Date/s:

Health & Safety

Considerations

Supporting and helping the

child to find the rabbit hiding

under the scarf. Help the

child to pull the scarf off the

rabbit

Possible Challenges:

Staff support and time

Taking photographs

Equipment needed

Camera: Take photographs of the

children during the activity

Scarf & Rabbit and Story Musical

Shaker: Indicates the child is

getting close to the scarf and

rabbit

Questions to ask the

children…..

Oh No! The rabbit is lost!

Sing a song: Where, oh

where is rabbit?

Reflect on Activity

Extension ideas /Opportunities

for Change

Documenting and Displaying the Learning Process

Notes to remember: Take photographs of the activity. Observe and take brief notes detailing the children’s interest and

conversations.

An example of how you could display the children’s work and learning

Activity: Being Constructive

“Digging & Building”

Aistear Links: ET, A 2, LG, 1 &4. C, A 2, LG, 3

What did we learn?

We used our fine motor skills to pick

up objects and construct buildings.

We problem-solved – we visualised,

planned and created.

We learned about how much our

digger could carry.

We learned mathematical concepts:

height, weight, size and composition.

We learned about different textures,

using natural materials

Children’s Conversations &

Observed Play:

Include comments the children made

or observational notes about their

play.

Children’ Conversations

“Look, the big truck doesn’t fit but the

small truck fits on the digger”

Observations

The children really enjoyed transporting

objects back and forth, especially when

the natural materials were introduced.

Extension Ideas: What we could do next….

We could develop & extend the construction area in the playroom – add natural

materials & miniatures (lollipop sticks, play dough, trailers, big & small bricks etc)

Short-Term Short-term Project/Activity Plan

Aistears Links

Equipment needed

Possible Challenges:

Reflect on Activity

Extension ideas

/Opportunities for change

Questions to ask the

children…..

Project Idea:

What we know already…

Seasonal Celebration:

Schema/Interest observed:

Stage of Play observed:

Specific Learning Goals:

Health & Safety

Considerations

Learning Record

Child’s Name:_________________ Date of observation: …../..…/..…

Signed:_______________________ Date: ___________________________.

Photo:

Describe

What does it mean?

What could we do next to extend the learning?

The Role of the Adult

• Listening, observing

• Open-ended questions (“I wonder…What happens…..let the child

have ownership over their ideas)

• Descriptive language: extends their understanding, learning and

language skills, inflection in voice - interested (Assimilation &

Accommodation).

• Encouragement & support

• Enthusiasm (tone of voice)

• Could you add something to extend the learning – suggest? – “I

wonder”…

• Remember some of the scaffolding stages (they will help – for

example: simplify the task, reduce frustration (perhaps model a

solution- demonstration – ask for help from the child) marking critical

features.

• Reflecting/Mirroring what the child is doing: make it meaningful (similar

to parallel play.

“Encourage possibility thinking”