Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework (National Council for Curriculum and Assessment [NCCA], 2009) has played a critical role in enhancing quality in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings in Ireland since its introduction in 2009 (Government of Ireland [GoI], 2019). Aistear, the Irish word for journey, marks early childhood as the beginning of children's lifelong learning journeys. It is the first curriculum framework in Ireland to support children's learning experiences from birth to six years. Given the important role that curriculum frameworks play in guiding and enhancing practice (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD], 2021), curricula should be informed by recent and relevant research. As a result, this Literature Review forms one part of the process that contributes to updating Aistear (NCCA, 2009). Consultations with the sector, stakeholders, and, critically, children from birth to six years form the other parts of the updating of Aistear.