The IB Primary Year Program (PYP)
The program of study for children from preschool to grade 5, is the IB Primary Years Program.
There are 5 Essential Elements of Curriculum that are the cornerstones for PYP.
- Concepts
- Knowledge
- Skills
- Attitudes
- Action
This framework gives students the opportunity to:
• Gain knowledge that is relevant and of global significance
• Develop an understanding of concepts, which allows them to make connections
throughout their learning
• Acquire transdisciplinary and disciplinary skills
• Develop attitudes that will lead to international mindedness
• Take action as a consequence of their learning
Details of the 5 Essential Elements
Concepts - The driving force in developing the Program of Inquiry. These powerful ideas have relevance within and across the disciplines, and are continuously re-explored.
There are eight key concepts:
• Form – What is it like? • Connection – How is it connected to other things?
• Function – How does it work? • Perspective – What are the points of view?
• Causation – Why is it like it is? • Responsibility – What is our responsibility?
• Change – How is it changing? • Reflection – How will we know?
Knowledge - Significant subject matter for students to explore. This also provides our students with a shared base of information (the outer circle on the diagram).The PYP recognizes that it would be inappropriate to define any narrow, fixed body of knowledge as the essential content, which every student should know. Instead, six transdisciplinary themes or areas of knowledge (as discussed previously), under which units of work are placed, ensure a balanced approach to teaching and learning within and across year levels.
Content is chosen on the basis that it will be:
• Significant • Challenging
• Relevant • Engaging
Skills - Abilities the students attain in order to succeed in making sense of their world. Skills are developed in a progressive order, recognising children’s differing learning styles and the varied paces at which they learn as they progress through to Grade 5. The construction of meaning and, therefore understanding, is complemented by the students acquiring and applying a range of skills. These include:
• Social skills • Communication skills
• Research skills • Self-management skills
- Thinking skills
Attitudes - Fundamental values, beliefs and feelings students have regarding learning, their environment, and other people. Concepts, skills and knowledge alone do not make an internationally-minded person. It is vital that they also articulate and model positive attitudes towards people, the environment and learning.
The twelve attitudes defined by the PYP:
• Appreciation • Empathy
• Commitment • Enthusiasm
• Confidence • Independence
• Cooperation • Integrity
• Creativity • Respect
• Curiosity • Tolerance
These attitudes form the basis of what our community values.
Action - Demonstration of deeper learning through service and positive action.
In today’s world, it is important that our students see and value the importance of thoughtful
and appropriate action. We need to provide students with opportunities to reflect, choose and
act on issues of importance and relevance to them.
IB Mission Statement
“The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”
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