In every learning space, beyond the guidance of educators and the influence of peers, a third teacher exists in the environment, inviting curiosity, nurturing inquiry, and opening doors to possibility.

Babies, toddlers and young children are natural explorers, and a rich, responsive environment fuels their innate curiosity and desire to wonder. Open-ended materials, a provocation, a quiet corner, or a shifting shadow on the wall can prompt questions that lead to deep investigation. The layout of a room and the availability of tools/ materials, equipment invite the children to engage and interact.

Inquiry thrives in dynamic and engaging environments. Spaces that evolve with children’s interests challenge them to look closer, think deeper, and make connections. When a child feels seen by their surroundings, they are more likely to take intellectual risks, embrace ambiguity, and persist through complexity.

Possibility lives in environments that suggest more than one answer, more than one way, more than one perspective. Here, learning becomes an adventure—a collaborative journey shaped by both the child and the space itself.

And in every adventure, there is challenge. The environment, as the third teacher, does not remove difficulty; instead, it presents it with intention. It encourages babies, toddlers and young children to stretch their thinking, engage with unfamiliar ideas, and build resilience in the face of the unknown.

A well-resourced, inclusive environment enables a flow between the different play experiences inside and outside. It also reflects the needs, rights, interests, abilities and wants of babies, toddlers and young children

In this way, the environment does not simply support learning—it ignites it

Curriculum design and development emerge from the needs and interests of children, in addition to the carefully planned learning experiences provided by the educator.  These activities and experiences are influenced by the educator's view and knowledge of the child, as well as the considered pedagogical strategies and approaches that need to be employed.  It is also supported and implemented through well-planned environments that reflect the children in the setting, in addition to supporting, inciting and nurturing curiosity and learning.  

Responding to children’s interests isn’t just about noticing what they like—it’s about uncovering the why behind it and using that to drive deeper engagement and learning. The challenge for educators lies in identifying the true thread of interest. Is the child fascinated by the process, the materials, the social interaction, or the story behind the activity?

Start with Observation

Educators need to slow down and watch closely. What captures the child’s attention repeatedly? How do they interact with materials, people, and their environment? Are they building, pretending, asking, collecting, organising, creating patterns?

Look for:

• Repeated behaviours or choices

• Emotional responses (excitement, frustration, focus)

• Language used during play or exploration

• Peer interactions—are they leading, imitating, negotiating?

Ask the Right Questions

To understand a child’s interest deeply, ask yourself:

• What draws this child in?

• What need or idea might they be exploring?

• Is this a fleeting curiosity or a sustained interest?

• How does this connect to their experiences or developmental stage?

Use Documentation to Reflect

Review notes, photos, and work samples with purpose. What patterns emerge over time? Do different children show overlapping interests? Are there missed opportunities to go deeper?

Reflection shouldn’t be solo—bring in your team:

• What did each educator see?

• Did we interpret the same moment differently?

• What does this tell us about the child?

• What possibilities for extension can we co-create?

Planning the Next Steps

From here, move with intention:

• Offer new materials that align with the interest but add complexity.

• Pose challenges or provocations that push thinking.

• Invite the group to revisit shared moments or projects.

• Use storytelling, questions, or project work to extend themes.

Responding to children’s interests is a cycle of noticing, questioning, documenting, and acting. It’s not about guessing what they like; it’s about listening with your eyes and ears, staying curious, and building learning from the inside out.

The Power of Documentation

Documentation refers to the practice of recording, collecting, and organising evidence of children’s learning and development. It can take many forms, such as photographs, videos, audio recordings, and written observations.

Documentation serves multiple purposes. First and foremost, it provides a way to make children’s learning visible. By documenting their work and play, educators gain a deeper understanding of their thought processes, interests, and learning styles. This knowledge helps inform future curriculum planning and tailor instruction to the needs and strengths of individual children.

Importantly, documentation fosters a sense of pride and ownership among children. Children should also be encouraged to document their own work through photographs, conversations and graphic representations. When their work is documented and displayed, they see that their efforts and achievements are valued and celebrated. This boosts their self-confidence and motivation to learn.

Additionally, documentation can serve as a tool for communication and collaboration. Educators can share documentation with parents and other professionals to keep them informed about children’s progress and involve them in the learning process. It can also facilitate dialogue and reflection among educators, leading to continuous improvement and innovation in teaching practices.

The power of documentation lies in its ability to give voice and agency to children. By capturing and presenting their ideas, actions, and discoveries, documentation empowers children to share their perspectives and contribute to the learning community. It helps create a culture of active participation and democratic decision-making, where everyone’s ideas are respected and valued.

Documentation enhances understanding, facilitates communication, and empowers children. By valuing and utilising documentation, educators can create rich and meaningful learning experiences for children.

The ‘Stinger Pupper Machine’

Andrew, today you were introduced to Clay and showed no hesitation in getting involved. The only extra material available to you was wire, and this was after a period of time playing exclusively with the clay. (Limited choice is preferable to help the child focus on the new material and not get distracted by too many choices.)

You started to combine the wire with the clay, and when I commented on how you had made the wire “stand up really tall”, you explained that it was a ‘Stinger Pupper Machine. ’ You then proceeded to tell me that “When I put lightning in it, that makes it sting. The lightning comes from the cloud, and it goes inside the wire, and then the wire stings.”

From this event, you demonstrated your ability to use the clay and wire to create a product, and when considering what your creation could be, you drew on your knowledge of lightning and its ability to ‘sting’ you. You also knew how electricity is conducted. I do not think that you set out to make a ‘Stinger Pupper Machine’; however, the construction with clay and wire, combined with your knowledge, inspired you. This is the power of using materials like these – you had the opportunity to imagine what could be, but this necessitated drawing on prior knowledge and combining both, igniting your creative thinking.

Offering a variety of materials gives children the opportunity to represent their thoughts and ideas that are not as easily expressed or explained verbally. Materials also provide an opportunity to put thinking and ideas to the test – ‘I wonder how this works?’, ‘I wonder what would happen if?’  

I will deepen your knowledge and understanding of electricity further by conducting the potato and clock experiment.

Ada Explores Glue

Today, I watched intently as you explored glue. Only a few days previously, I observed you engaging with playdough in a similar manner, so it was fascinating to see you approach this material in the same way. Before you could do anything with the glue, you needed to explore its properties.

You raised the glue stick in the air, watching as it slowly fell, and then raised your arm even higher to see if this would have any impact. You followed the line of the glue as it left the stick and eventually hit the page. You observed closely as it drizzled and dropped. You seemed to become aware of the impact of your actions – any hand or arm movement you made had a corresponding effect on the flow or movement of the glue. Having drizzled it on the page, you then placed your hand under the flow. Feeling the glue gave you even more information about what you might be able to do with it. Finally, you placed foil coated cardboard squares on the glue. I commented on how you had put the squares on the page and that they had stuck, to see if they represented anything specific for you, but you did not respond. Even if they did, I believe that it was the exploration of the glue that captivated you; this was all about the process of working out and gaining an understanding of its properties. I will observe you closely to see what happens when you next use glue. Will you continue to explore it, or will you use it with other materials to create? 

Integrating STEM Learning in the Early Years: Foundations for Lifelong Inquiry

Integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) expereinces are important in early childhood contexts as educators and researchers increasingly recognise the value of fostering inquiry, problem-solving, and critical thinking from the earliest years. For early childhood professionals, the focus is not on formal instruction, but on creating rich, interconnected learning experiences that align with young children’s natural curiosity and developmental needs.

In early learning environments, integrated STEM often emerges through hands-on, play-based exploration. Activities such as designing a water system in the sandpit, experimenting with shadows, using spirit levels and measuring tapes in the construction area, or using a microscope to investigagte a snail found in the garden, combine scientific thinking, mathematical reasoning, engineering design, and technological fluency. These experiences are not only developmentally appropriate but also provide powerful opportunities for collaborative learning, communication, and creativity.

Increasingly, the Art are being incorporated into STEM, sometimes referred to as STE(A)M, to recognise the integral role of creativity, design, and the expressive arts in children's learning. Including the arts—such as drawing, music, dance, drama, and storytelling—supports diverse ways of thinking and knowing. It encourages children to represent ideas, solve problems imaginatively, and engage in learning that is both cognitive and emotional.

The role of the educator is central to successful STEM plus Arts integration. Educators act as facilitators, co-learners, and intentional planners. They create rich environments for exploration, pose open-ended questions, scaffold emerging understandings, and support children in making connections across learning areas. By embedding interdisciplinary thinking into everyday practice, educators enable children to develop key dispositions such as curiosity, persistence, collaboration, and creative confidence.

Ultimately, STEM plus the Arts in the early years is not about accelerating content knowledge but about nurturing foundational ways of thinking and being. With thoughtful, skilled educators guiding the process, integrated learning becomes a powerful catalyst for children's engagement, growth, and lifelong love of learning.

Inclusive practice means creating an environment where every child—regardless of background, ability, or need—feels they belong, are seen, and are supported to thrive. At its core, inclusive practice starts with the child: who they are, what they bring, and what they can do. It is rooted in a strengths-based approach that values diversity, honours identity, and removes barriers to participation and progress (Florian and Beaton, 2018).

Aistear, Ireland’s early childhood curriculum framework, reinforces this approach by recognising each child as a capable, active rights holder. It places strong emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and calls on educators to provide learning experiences that reflect and respect the identities, cultures, and capabilities of all children (NCCA, 2024). Importantly, equality is not about treating every child the same—it’s about giving each child what they need to succeed, whether that’s more time, a different tool, or a different approach. Grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), Aistear promotes environments where every child is valued, listened to, and given meaningful opportunities to participate in their own learning journey (NCCA, 2024).

Inclusive early years settings adapt to meet each child where they are. This involves understanding their individual needs, interests, cultural background, family structure, and preferred ways of learning (Quennerstedt, 2016). It also means intentionally building on their strengths, capabilities, and unique perspectives. An ethos of inclusion promotes agency, resilience, and confidence by nurturing each child’s sense of self and supporting their full potential.

Inclusion is not a strategy reserved for children with additional needs—it is a mindset and a daily practice that applies to every child. It involves designing environments, relationships, routines, and experiences that are flexible, accessible, and representative (Florian, 2014). True inclusion doesn’t merely accommodate difference; it celebrates and responds to it. Inclusive practice also means using a range of teaching methods and materials that support different learning styles, offering targeted support for children with special educational needs, and actively removing barriers such as bias, discrimination, or exclusion (Falco and Kishimoto, 2022).

Practitioners must reflect on how every element of their setting—language, interactions, visuals, curriculum, and environment—either welcomes or excludes. Representation matters: children should see themselves, their families, and their communities reflected in books, displays, resources, and staff. This helps them feel safe, seen, and connected.

Ultimately, inclusion is about shaping a culture of “we”, not “us and them”—a culture where every child is empowered to explore, express, and excel, and every family feels respected, valued, and part of the learning community.

References

Falco, M. and Kishimoto, T.M., 2022. Pedagogical documentation for a more inclusive early childhood education. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 30(2), pp.251-264.

Florian, L. and Beaton, M., 2018. Inclusive pedagogy in action: getting it right for every child. International journal of inclusive education, 22(8), pp.870-884.

Florian, L., 2014. What counts as evidence of inclusive education?. European journal of special needs education, 29(3), pp.286-294.

National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). 2024. Aistear: The Early Childhood Curriculum Framework. Dublin: NCCA.

Quennerstedt, A., 2016. Young children's enactments of human rights in early childhood education. International Journal of Early Years Education, 24(1), pp.5-18.

Aistear is the national curriculum framework and offers a rich organic approach to nurturing babies, toddlers and young children’s holistic developemnt through play. The framework functions as a guide to implementing best practice, influencing outcomes for children, families and communities.

The Reggio Emilia approach is a globally influential philosophy of early childhood education, developed by Loris Malaguzzi in Reggio Emilia, Italy. It is rooted in a strong image of the child as competent, relational, and actively engaged in constructing knowledge through interaction with others and the environment.

Central to the approach is the concept of the “hundred languages of children” — the multiple symbolic tools children use to explore and communicate their thinking. These languages include art, movement, storytelling, construction, dramatic play, and more. Educators are called to value, document, and support these diverse forms of expression as cognitive and communicative acts.

Pedagogical listening is fundamental. Practitioners engage in deep listening — not only to what children say, but to the intentions behind their actions, gestures, and silences. This informs an emergent curriculum that is responsive, co-constructed, and grounded in children’s authentic interests.

The Reggio approach favours long-term project-based learning, where inquiry emerges organically and evolves through collaborative exploration, negotiation, and revisitation. Educators serve as co-learners and facilitators, carefully scaffolding thinking while allowing space for uncertainty, hypothesis, and discovery.

The learning environment is viewed as the third teacher — a dynamic, intentional space designed to provoke curiosity and dialogue. Materials are open-ended, natural, and aesthetically arranged to invite investigation. The environment is continuously shaped in response to children’s learning processes and is considered an integral part of the pedagogical experience.

The Reggio Emilia approach invites educators to see teaching as a reflective, democratic, and research-driven practice — one that honours the voices of children, the power of relationships, and the potential of shared learning communities.

The early years (0–6) are a time of rapid development. Choosing the right educational approach during these critical years is essential, not only for ensuring a positive early experience but also for laying the foundation for lifelong learning and well-being.

At the heart of quality early years education is play.

Play is how young children learn best. Through play, they explore ideas, build relationships, develop language, and gain confidence. It teaches social skills like cooperation, turn-taking, empathy, and resilience. Play supports curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving—all essential for lifelong learning.

As recognised in Aistear, the national curriculum framework, play should be central in early childhood settings. It offers a rich context for children to imagine, create, negotiate, take risks, and discover. Play-based learning promotes holistic development, encompassing physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and creative aspects, while also supporting the emergence of literacy and numeracy skills.

The Educator’s Role

Play is powerful, but it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Educators play a vital role in creating environments that invite deep engagement and meaningful exploration. They observe, listen, and respond—scaffolding learning through open-ended questions, thoughtful provocations, and intentional interactions.

Effective educators know when to guide, when to step back, and how to extend thinking without taking over. Their support helps children develop independence, language, and metacognitive awareness.

Inclusive, play-based learning honours each child’s unique strengths and starting points. It values diversity, supports identity, and builds a sense of belonging. When play is respected and supported as a powerful learning tool, early years settings become places where all children can thrive.

When children engage with loose parts and recycled materials, they enter a world of open-ended play where the possibilities are endless and the outcomes are undefined. These materials — boxes, tubes, lids, fabric scraps, natural objects, metal pieces — invite exploration without prescription. They don’t tell children what they are; instead, they ask, What could I become?

Junk or repurposed materials are not inanimate; they have characteristics that will challenge children to work in different ways. The materials will suggest what could be, what the possibilities are, and what they could represent, but will not always succumb to the child’s intent and actions.  The materials sometimes push back, and the child must reconsider other possibilities, encouraging ‘how can?’ and ‘what if?’. The experience and interaction are relational, not unilateral.

Creative thinking thrives in these open-ended environments. Children make decisions, test ideas, revise their plans, and collaborate with others. They work across symbolic languages: constructing, narrating, representing, and negotiating meaning. With no right or wrong outcome, they learn to take risks and trust their ideas.

This kind of creative learning is deeply engaging and richly cognitive. It supports the development of spatial reasoning, fine motor skills, communication, collaboration, and resilience, all while nurturing a strong sense of agency and ownership.

Loose parts and recycled materials serve as tools of imagination, catalysts for inquiry, and resources for transformative learning.