The aim of Aistear is to help every child to grow and develop as a competent and confident learner.

Ultimately, according to Aistear, early childhood care and education must support a child’s sense of:

These are the 4 main goals of Aistear and it proposes that they are achieved through the contexts of play and supported by caring, learning relationships with adults and peers.

In this way it makes very strong links between care and education in the early years and firmly establishes the child’s right to a safe, stimulating, nurturing and play-based environment.

The NCCA have published a downloadable guide to Aistear on their website.