INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME (IBPYP)

At KIS the Primary Years Program is introduced to children from  3 years old.

Learning Through Inquiry

An inquiry-based learning environment helps students to learn by connecting to what they already know. In the Early Childhood Program (ECP), teachers provide new experiences, including the time and opportunity for students to reflect and think about their actions. This is achieved through play-based experiences.

Learning engagements designed by our teachers, allow young students to extend their existing ideas and to develop new ways of understanding how the world works. For children in our ECP, wondering, exploring and investigating while making connections and trying out their theories and ideas through play all demonstrate the skills and habits of inquiry.

The PYP program of inquiry is defined by transdisciplinary themes that are considered worthy of inquiry regardless of the age of the child.

Preschool and Pre-kindergarten inquire into :

  • Who we are
  • How we express ourselves
  • How the world works
  • Sharing the planet.
Kindergarten Students inquire into:
  • Who we are
  • Where we are in place and time
  • How we express ourselves
  • How the world works
  • How we organize ourselves
  • Sharing the planet.

Elements of the PYP

The Early Childhood Program at KIS falls under the 5 elements of PYP

  1. Concepts -ways of thinking and learning about the world.  Teachers consider concepts as a provocation to extend children’s inquiry.
  2. Knowledge-acquisition of new knowledge is activated by prior knowledge and by children’s interests, experiences and attempts to construct meaning.  Numeracy and literacy are developed authentically in the context of the social and physical environment, as suggested in the PYP’s language and mathematics scope and sequence documents.
  3. Skills-ongoing development of all the transdisciplinary skills (social, research, thinking, self-management and communication), is important for young children.  Our teachers interpret and foster the skills in ways that are appropriate for young children.
  4. Attitudes-are modeled and interpreted for the children in ECP, and when demonstrated by a child they are explicitly appreciated by the teacher and other children.
  5. Action-for young children is a voluntary demonstration of a sense of responsibility and respect for self, others and the environment.
Click here for more details on how these elements are fostered throughout the PYP program