Nurturing Young Learners: A Look at the IB PYP Early Years for Early Childhood

Early childhood education lays the foundation for a child’s future learning and development. One of the options is to use the PYP Early Years at the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum.

Designed for children between three and six, the IB Primary Years Program (PYP) Early Years (EY) presents a complete educational approach that supports all areas, from curiosity, creativity, confidence, and more.

The Framework of the IB PYP Early Years

The PYP EY framework is informed by extensive research, which provides children with options to take responsibility for their learning. Overall, the programme nurtures a child’s creativity and curiosity by:

• Providing stimulating and age-appropriate experiences, where the curriculum is designed to benefit young learners optimally.
• Acknowledging their intelligence, resourcefulness, and creativity.
• Allowing play to drive children’s inquiry.
• Enabling children to develop their own agency and build their own learning.

A study carried out in Singapore and Australia showed that children performed at levels either similar to or better than a normative sample in terms of school preparation and reading skills, according to the PYP EY learning outcomes.

These findings reveal the degree of crucial ability development for children in their early years towards future education.

Key Components of the IB PYP Early Years

Children’s learning processes in PYP EY consist of several fundamental components, including:

• Play-Based Learning

Early years are considered critical for development, and play is primarily responsible for curiosity, because children pick basic knowledge and abilities from play.

Play-based learning can foster the growth of thinking, research, communication, social, and self-management abilities.

Children who play develop critical and creative thinking, solve issues, and use their knowledge and abilities in several contexts. Through playful interactions, they record observations, network, and negotiate relationships.

Playing allows children to express their creativity, feel happiness, and make meaning of their experiences. It can also help one overcome emotional suffering, lower anxiety, and restore normalcy amid trying circumstances.

• Student Agency

PYP early years student agency emphasises the need to allow children to own their education. Agency is the ability of the individual to take deliberate and meaningful action respecting their rights and obligations.

Under a learner-centred approach such as the IB curriculum, students engage more actively in their educational experience.

They can decide on unique activities, create their objectives, and consider how they have developed. This method develops critical thinking, judgement, and problem-solving ability.

• Transdisciplinary Approach

Under a transdisciplinary approach, when pupils study several disciplines under one theme, the PYP EY curriculum features this method. It motivates students to investigate interesting subjects, ask questions, and own their learning.

Six transdisciplinary topics of global relevance—who we are, where we are in place and time, how we express ourselves, how the world works, how we organise ourselves, and even share the planet—formulate the curriculum.

These themes let students investigate areas outside of their disciplines and observe their practical relevance. Students can develop ideas and abilities in many disciplines through this all-encompassing learning process.

• Inquiry-Based Learning

As the name implies, in inquiry-based learning, students work on projects motivated by questions. This method motivates pupils to create reasonable objectives, probe exciting topics, and tenaciously follow their dreams.

More profound learning results from investigating fresh ideas, changing hypotheses, and finding new difficulties.

The PYP early years programme offers a suitable environment and efficient tools, encouraging research. It guarantees that students understand inquiry-based learning and how to use it successfully.

• Assessment and Reflection

In the PYP, the assessment includes pre-assessment, formative assessment, and summative assessment.

Pre-assessment determines students’ prior knowledge and skills, while formative assessment informs teaching and learning throughout a unit of inquiry. Summative assessment measures students’ understanding of central ideas and their progress.

Teachers can regularly reflect on the outcomes of assessments and use this information to improve future teaching and learning.

Student portfolios are also used to collect and store evidence of learning, celebrating students’ achievements and progress. They may include samples of work, assessments, and reflections, providing a complete overview of each student’s learning journey.

Benefits of the IB PYP Early Years

Now, let’s explore all the advantages offered by the International Baccalaureate PYP for early years children:

• Holistic Development

Children explore their surroundings and learn through play and connections, promoting well-rounded growth by combining cognitive, physical, and emotional development.

• Global Mindset

This curriculum encourages kids to acquire a worldwide perspective by exposing them to several civilisations, points of view, and ideas. Through transdisciplinary subjects, children explore global issues and learn to respect many points of view.

• Strong Foundation

By teaching fundamental skills and information, the PYP EY also strengthens the foundation for future study. Inquiry-based learning allows students to develop critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, take responsibility for their learning, and acquire knowledge.

• Collaboration and Communication

Finally, this curriculum also emphasises the need for teamwork and communication whereby children engage in projects, exchange ideas, and learn to negotiate relationships.

Now, choose no other than us at BINUS School Simprug if you’re searching for the top Indonesian educational institution with IB PYP Early Years. Check out Your Guide to Assessments in PYP to learn more about this programme.

References

https://www.ibo.org/primary-years-programme-in-the-early-years/

https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/new-structure/brochures-and-infographics/pdfs/1511-pyp-early-years-en.pdf

https://www.bisedu.or.id/academics/ib-primary-years-programme-early-childhood-pyp

https://ibo.org/contentassets/117bf04eac9f45eda7d6b7afaf671ba0/inquiry-through-play-supporting-pyp-parents.pdf

https://www.pypteachingtools.com/blog/implementing-student-agency-in-the-ib-pyp

https://owis.org/sg/blog/what-is-transdisciplinary-learning-in-the-pyp/

https://www.ibo.org/research/curriculum-research/cross-programme/meanings-and-practices-of-inquiry-based-teaching-and-learning-in-the-international-baccalaureate-2022/

https://belairps.sa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PYP-assessment-and-reporting-policy.pdf