Module: Early Childhood Education

Latest Module Specifications

Current Academic Year 2025 - 2026

Module Title	Early Childhood Education
Module Code	EDP1108 (ITS: EC325)
Faculty	Language, Literacy & ECE	School	DCU Institute of Education
NFQ level	8	Credit Rating	5

Description

This module is underpinned by the four themes of Aistear, The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (NCCA, 2009): Well-being; Identity and Belonging; Communicating and Exploring and Thinking. Play and playful contexts that support children’s learning and development is explored in this module. Students are introduced to practices and pedagogies that provide supports for the promotion of well-being, communication, transitions and children’s voice in early childhood. The module explores a range of formative assessment processes as identified in Aistear (NCCA, 2009).

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify how play and playful contexts can support young children’s learning and development.
2. Describe the importance of young children’s rights, agency and voice in all learning experiences.
3. Explore how young children use different contexts and resources for communicating and making meaning.
4. Explain the roles and responsibilities of educators in early childhood settings.
5. Discuss the impact of transitions on young children’s lives.
6. Define assessment as it applies to early learning and to pedagogy for children aged 0-6.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full time hours per semester
Workshop	22	Presentation of content in workshop format. Active participation and engagement in workshops. Exploration of resources to support content.
Independent Study	44	Engage with a variety of literature and resources to prepare for workshop.
Independent Study	20	Independent study for assignment
Assignment Completion	39	Completion of assignment
Total Workload: 125

Section Breakdown
CRN	20300	Part of Term	Semester 2
Coursework	0%	Examination Weight	0%
Grade Scale	40PASS	Pass Both Elements	Y
Resit Category	RC1	Best Mark	N
Module Co-ordinator		Module Teacher

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Assessment Breakdown
Assignment	Students complete a summative assignment based on the topics covered in the module.	100%	Sem 2 End

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories; RC1: A resit is available for both^* components of the module. RC2: No resit is available for a 100% coursework module. RC3: No resit is available for the coursework component where there is a coursework and summative examination element. ^* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a coursework/summative examination split; where the module is 100% coursework, there will also be a resit of the assessment

Pre-requisite	None
Co-requisite	None
Compatibles	None
Incompatibles	None

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Indicative Content
• Aistear: Themes (NCCA, 2009): Well-being; Identity and Belonging; Communicating and Exploring and Thinking;

• Aistear: Guidelines for Good Practice (NCCA, 2009): Building partnerships between parents and practitioners; Learning and developing through interactions; Learning and developing through play and Supporting learning and development through assessment;

• The role of play in early learning and development;

• Playful approaches to learning and development in the early years;

• Children’s rights, agency and voice in early childhood;

• Multi-modal communication and meaning making;

• The role of transitions in early childhood;

• The role of relationships and contexts to support the promotion of young children’s well-being;

• Key issues in formative assessment in early childhood education.

Indicative Reading List

Books:

Centre for Early Childhood Development and Education: 2006, Síolta. The national quality framework for early childhood education., Dublin, Dublin,
Carr, M.: 2000, Seeking children’s perspectives about their learning. In A. Smith, N. Taylor, M. Gollop (Eds.), Children’s voices: Research, policy and practice (pp. 37-54)., Pearson Education., New Zealand,
Carr, M. & Lee, W.: 2012, Learning stories: Constructing learner identities in early education, Sage, London,
Drummond, M. J.: 2012, Assessing children’s learning. (ebook Cregan Library), Classic, Routledge, Abington, UK:,
French, G.: 2007, Children’s early learning and development: A research paper., National Council for Curriculum and Assessment., Dublin,
Harcourt, D., Perry, B. & Waller, T.: 2011, Researching young children’s perspectives: debating the ethics and dilemmas of educational research with children., Routledge,
Kernan, M.: 2007, Play as a context for learning and development: A research paper, National Council for Curriculum and Assessment., Dublin,
Moyles, J.: 20, The excellence of play (available as an ebook), 3rd, Open University Press,
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. (NCCA): 2009, Aistear: The Early Childhood curriculum framework, NCCA, Dublin,
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. (NCCA): 2022, Literature Review to Support the Updating of Aistear: The Early Childhood curriculum framework., NCCA, Dublin,
O’ Kane, M.: 2016, Transition from preschool to primary school. Research report:19., NCCA, Dublin,
Wood, E.: 2013, Play, learning and the early childhood curriculum, Sage, London,

Articles:

Dockett, S. and Perry, B.: 2013, Trends and tensions: Australian and international research about starting school, International Journal of Early Years Education, 21(2–3), 163, https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2013.832943, 58191
2016: Towards a children’s rights model in Ireland: An exploration of the values and limitations of Irish policy, legislation and practice from a children’s rights perspective., An Leanbh Óg, 10, 58192, 1
Assessing early learning through formative assessment: Key issues and considerations. .: Irish Educational Studies,, 29(1), 41, 58193, 1, Einarsdottir, J.
European Early Childhood Education Research Journal: 18 (2), 163, 58212, 1, Knauf, H., 2015
DOI: 10.1080/1350293X.2015.1102403: 58213, 1, Lundy, L., 2007, Voice’ is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, British Educational Research Journal, 33:6, 927
58214: 1, Sinclair, R. (2004), 2004, Participation in practice: Making it meaningful, effective and sustainable. ,, Children and Society, 18, 106,
1: Smith, A., 2007, Children and young people’s participation rights in education., International Journal of Children’s Rights, 15, 147,

Other Resources

None