Coming January 2027

ISBN: 9781919317977

This book brings theory to life through rich, practical examples from the Willows Preschool and Nursery of curriculum building for babies, toddlers and young children.

Grounded in the principles of rights, respect, equity and inclusion, it explores the complexity of the early childhood curriculum while offering guidance on planning, implementing, assessing and documenting children’s learning and development.

Drawing on Aistear, Ireland’s Early Childhood Curriculum Framework, as well as international perspectives, the book introduces a reflective approach to pedagogical documentation through the practices of Noticing, Nurturing, Responding and Reflecting.

Through the individual stories of baby Josie, toddler Leon, preschoolers Nellie and Max, alongside rich examples of nursery and preschool group learning journals, the book illustrates how theory translates into meaningful pedagogical practice.

These stories bring to life the creativity, intentionality and relationships at the heart of responsive curriculum building, demonstrating how educators can recognise and support each child’s unique learning journey.

Combining conceptual foundations with practical exemplars, this book inspires educators to document the life stories of babies, toddlers and young children, deepen their understanding of learning and development, and create time and space for thoughtful, reflective practice in everyday early childhood settings.

The Authors:

Dr Sharon Skehill is an Early Years Educator, researcher and managing director in Newtown Kids Club Ltd (Willows and Nursery) outdoor setting working with babies, toddlers and young children. She played a lead role in updating Aistear, the early childhood curriculum Framework (Government of Ireland, 2024) and has written a guidance paper for NCCA on Aistear’s Reflective Cycle of Planning and Assessing (Skehill, 2026). More recently, Sharon has worked as a Research Specialist on the redevelopment of the Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Charter and Guidelines. She is also redeveloping the Level 5 and 6 Early Learning and Care Programmes for the Education and Training Boards nationally. Sharon has lectured in early childhood studies for many years and has carried out and published research in areas such as the rights and agency of babies, toddlers and young children; planning and assessing; nature pedagogy, sustainability, curriculum and inclusion.

Lisa Flaherty is a graduate lead educator and also holds the role of Curriculum lead and deputy manager at the Willows. She has worked in practice for 15 years supporting the learning and development of babies, toddlers and young children. Lisa is actively involved in showcasing her pedagogical practice through television appearances, conferences and communities of practice and has published work on sustainability in ECEC. As a Froebelian educator, Lisa is a strong advocate for nature-based pedagogy and play-based learning.