The content of the Nursery Curriculum will relate to the direction of “The Curricular Guidance for Pre-school Education” which advocates the planning and implementing of a play-centred programme around the six main areas of development.

1. Personal, Social & Emotional Development

Appropriate opportunities are provided for the children to develop personal and social skills, values and attitudes. These include:

• Sharing 
• Taking turns
• Cooperating with one another
• Being sensitive to the needs and feelings of one another
• Develop an understanding of rules and routines and engage in acceptable behaviour
• Promoting self-care e.g. putting on own coat.

2. Language development

 Language development is critical to living and learning and is concerned with more than the growth of vocabulary. To encourage development in this area children will: 

• Have access to a wide variety of play activities and will be encouraged to talk about their experiences, ideas, feelings and achievements.
• Have the opportunity to enjoy and share books in large groups, small groups and one-to-one situations.
• Be shown how to handle books appropriately and being made aware that the printed word has meaning and is read from left to right.
• Take part in story, rhymes and song sessions increasing their attention skills and concentration.

 3.  Early Mathematical Experience

 Play is an effective vehicle for fostering mathematical concepts and developing a positive attitude to mathematics. Practical activities will be provided that will enable the children to explore, experience and develop concepts such as space, time, number, shape, size, pattern order and relationships

 4.  World Around Us

The natural curiosity of young children is harnessed at nursery and they are encouraged to use their senses to explore their world. The children are provided with a wide variety of activities and experiences in play enabling them to develop skills and concepts including observation, experimentation and prediction. By interacting with adults these concepts are further developed and appropriate language is promoted. Children will have opportunities to:

• Play with different materials e.g. wet or dry sand, peat, rice. 
• Explore malleable materials such as dough and clay and explore how materials
• behave in various situations e.g. baking. 
• Observe and respect living things, handling with care and sensitivity e.g. tending to plants indoors and outdoors.
• Making models e.g. in construction play.
• Talk about the weather and the seasons throughout the year.
• Explore items on the nature/interest tables e.g. sea shells.
• Talk about themselves – their own history and family.
• Use their senses to explore their environment inside and out.
• Make predictions in different areas of play e.g. what will happen to the ice cube?

 5. Physical Development

Children enjoy both physical play indoors and out. Types of play offered at nursery contribute to the development of both large and fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Gross motor skills will be developed through using a range of large and small equipment as well as building an awareness of space and freedom of movement. Fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination will be developed through e.g. building jigsaws, cutting with scissors, threading, pegs and peg boards.

 6. Creative and Aesthetic

Creative play gives children experiences in working with natural and man-made materials and opportunities to explore colour, shape and texture. Music is another means of expression which interests children and gives them joy and excitement. Children will have opportunities to:

• Work with various media and tools e.g. paint, crayons, clay, wood, fabric, sponges.
• Develop manipulative skills as they handle tools correctly.
• Learn songs, listen and respond to music.
• Make their own music by singing, clapping and playing simple instruments.