Aistear

Aistear is the early childhood curriculum framework for all children from birth to six years. The word Aistear is the Irish word for journey and was chosen because early childhood marks the beginning of children’s lifelong learning journeys.

Aistear is the key learning and teaching tool used to implement the primary school curriculum in infant classes in Our Lady's Abbey. The children play for an hour each day, with an emphasis on active learning and oral language development. Curriculum subjects covered during Aistear include: S.E.S.E., S.P.H.E., Literacy, Numeracy, Art, Music and Drama.

During the Aistear hour, the children are implementing their numeracy and literacy skills in a more meaningful way through the use of role play, games and real-life situations. Themes that are explored throughout the year include Autumn, The Doctor, The Toy Shop, School, The Market, The Travel Agent, The Restaurant and many more.