Introduction
The International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC) is an innovative research-based toolkit, recognising international best practice and the developmental needs of 2-5 year olds. However, the IEYC can be easily extended to include older children in settings and countries where early years education goes beyond the age of five years. The IEYC is a perfect tool for the transition phase, forging a seamless link between early and formal education. The IEYC has eight Learning Principles, each conveying a belief considered essential to children’s learning and development. The Learning Principles should form the foundation of all IEYC policy and practice.
The IEYC Learning Principle
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 childinitiated
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.
