IEYC (International Early Year Curriculum)

The International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC) is a child-centered and research informed curriculum for 2-5+ year old. The IEYC recognizes best practice and the developmental needs of early years education and enables teachers/practitioners to embrace the interconnected nature of learning.

Emphasizing playful, holistic and child-focused approaches to learning and development, it provides a contemporary perspective that empowers teachers as they help children learn effectively and with enjoyment.

I- There are Eight IEYC Learning Principles

1. The earliest years of life are important in their own right.
2. Children should be supported to learn and develop at their own unique pace.
3. Play is an essential aspect of all children’s learning and development.
4. Learning happens when developmentally appropriate, teacher-scaffolded and child-initiated experiences harness children’s natural curiosity in an enabling environment.
5. Independent and interdependent learning experiences create a context for personal development and are the foundation of international mindedness.
6. Knowledge and skills development lead to an increasing sense of understanding when children are provided with opportunities to explore and express their ideas in multiple ways.
7. Ongoing assessment, in the form of evaluation and reflection, is effective when it involves a learning-link with the home.
8. Learning should be motivating, engaging and fun, opening up a world of wonder for children where personal interests can flourish.

II- Our philosophy

The philosophy of the IEYC is designed around four essential constructs:

1. Child-centred – the child-centred approach is an application within the field of child development that allows the child to have their own ideas. The interests of the child are then fed into planning.
2. Learning Strands – each activity suggested in the IEYC covers a wide range of Learning Strands, therefore providing a holistic approach to learning and development.
3. The IEYC Learning Process outlines the route to be taken through a unit. The stages are defined as the ‘Entry Point’; ‘Capturing Curiosity’; ‘Enable the Environment’; ‘The Big Picture’; ‘Explore and Express’; and ‘Exit Point’. The IEYC comprises a diverse range of exciting and engaging units of learning, which are designed around the IEYC Learning Process.
4. Knowledge, skills and increasing understanding. The overriding purpose of the IEYC is to help children develop their knowledge, skills, and increasing understanding to support their development in early years. The teacher should know what knowledge, skills and increasing understanding needs to be taught but also to embrace the children’s own ideas and understand the direction they wish to take their learning in. The result would then prepare learners for deeper learning.

The representation of the IEYC as a curriculum model, including the child-centred design, Learning Strands and Learning Process is provided below.

III- The 4 learning strands

1. Independence and interdependence: This strand focuses on developing personal, social and emotional development. The strand links to the IEYC Personal Goals and the IEYC International Dimension. This strand enables children to see themselves as unique individuals with a cultural heritage.
2. Communicating: This strand focuses on developing a broad range of communication skills including language development, early literacy, early mathematics, ICT and computing, expressive arts and creativity.
3. Enquiring: This strand focuses on developing the skills of enquiry through exploring people and the world. It will support children in understanding the similarities and differences in people, living things, the environment and materials. Children will be encouraged to investigate, pose questions and explore ideas.
4. Healthy living and Physical Well-Being: This strand focuses on developing a positive attitude to health, self-care and physical activity. Children will know about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. They will learn how to take care of basic hygiene and personal needs. They will understand how to keep themselves safe. They will demonstrate control, coordination and increasing confidence in a range of physical activities. This strand covers child development and the importance of nurturing wellbeing in children.

IV- The IEYC Types of Learning

Fieldwork Education believes that differentiating between Knowledge, Skills and Understanding is crucial to the development of children’s learning. We also believe that Knowledge, Skills and Understanding have their own distinct characteristics that impact on how each is planned for, learned, taught and assessed. The implications of these differences are therefore far-reaching and deserve proper consideration.

• Knowledge: is relatively straightforward. We see knowledge as largely factual. For example: my name is …….., my address is …….. At this moment I am painting. Knowledge is what we assess by quizzes and test of various kinds.
• skills: skills are concerned with abilities, with being able to do things. Skills are what we see in action. For example: I am able to find my way home, I am able to paint.
• Understanding: impossible to assess and difficult to evaluate. Understanding is built upon knowledge and skills

V- learning process

1. The Entry Point launches each new IEYC unit and should be planned to enable children to explore new experiences in exciting and memorable ways. Each IEYC unit of learning has a suggested Entry Point idea which can be adapted according to children’s development needs. The IEYC encourages teachers to be creative and use their own ideas to enhance the Entry Point.
2. Capturing Curiosity is achieved when teachers are aware of what children are curious to learn and then the unit is adapted to enhance opportunities.
3. To Enable the Environment is the process of planning and developing relevant indoor and outdoor learning spaces to create the positive climate for enquiry and learning to take place.
4. The Big Picture provides the children with an overview of each unit of learning. It prepares children for a new learning experience whilst at the same time helps establish connections with previous learning. It gives teachers an overview of why the theme is important and links to child development.
5. Explore and Express aims to provide children with opportunities to engage in activities that have been holistically designed around the Learning Strands.
6. The Exit Point at the end of the IEYC provides opportunities for children to reflect, share and celebrate what they have learnt. Exit Points are also used to share and demonstrate learning with parents and the wider community

VI- IEYC Learning goals

1. Personal Learning goals

2. International Learning Goals
   • Has a good sense of identity
   • Is open-minded and adaptable
   • Is respectful of other cultures and beliefs
   • Is aware of and celebrates similarity and diversity
   • Is a good communicator
   • Has respect for the ideas and opinions of others
   • Take an interest in global issues
3. Subject Learning Goals: Knowledge, skills and understanding