The Foundation Stage Enriched Curriculum (EC), which is more activity-led than the existing curriculum, was first piloted in schools in the Greater Shankill area of Belfast in 2000.
The EC postpones the introduction of formal reading and arithmetic teaching in Years 1 and 2 in favour of activities that lay the foundations for understanding basic literacy and mathematical concepts.
An evaluation of the pilot, published by Queen's University Belfast in January, showed that although formal teaching was delayed for two years, children who participated in the EC were not behind their peers in reading and maths at the end of Year 4.
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