The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) Early Years (EY) encourages young learners to demonstrate their intellectual potential, creativity and curiosity. Play is the primary driver for inquiry, and students cultivate essential skills through numerous experiences, such as play materials, sensory and exploratory activities. As learners progress through the curriculum, they develop skills in literacy, numeracy, basic science, social studies, and additional language.
With the onset of IB PYP Early Years at GIIS SMART Campus, our youngest learners, aged 3 to 6 years, will get an opportunity to embark on a rewarding journey within the IB PYP curriculum framework. Spread over three years, the curriculum progresses from PYP EY 1 to EY 2, to EY3.
The key aspects of IB Early Childhood education include a play-based learning approach, transdisciplinary themes, developmentally appropriate learning spaces, language development, and supportive relationships.
Unique advantages of IB PYP Early Years
Let’s delve into the key differentiators of the curriculum for a preschool learner at GIIS:
1. Transdisciplinary approach: The programme embraces a transdisciplinary approach where learning happens across subjects, allowing young learners to explore through curiosity-driven questions.
2. Engaging themes: The six captivating transdisciplinary themes provide a rich backdrop for inquiry, blending local and global contexts to ignite the curiosity of students. This encourages them to engage with the world around them. Students delve into at least four of the six themes through interactive play, supported by educators and peers.
3. Play-based learning: The highly adaptive and student-led play provides learners with agency, enabling them to explore concepts, delve into personal interests, and investigate questions. Our approach encourages reflection, allowing students to make meaningful connections between their play experiences and the broader learning objectives.
4. Developmentally appropriate learning spaces: We prioritise creating environments tailored to the developmental needs of our Early Childhood students, allowing them to learn at their own pace while fostering a love for exploration and discovery.
5. Atelier: We have a designated space for artistic, musical, and dramatic activities aimed at symbolic expression and exploration.
Also read: How Action enhances learning in the Primary Years Programme at GIIS
6. Active inquiry process: Learning is an active process with students being encouraged to explore, imagine, create, and take agency in their learning journey, leading to a deeper understanding and mastery of skills.
7. Supportive relationships: Our learning community fosters supportive relationships, providing a nurturing environment where children feel safe to express themselves, collaborate, and grow alongside their peers and educators.
8. Language development: Through active inquiry and play, children naturally develop language abilities. Pre-literacy competence is built through offering a language and print rich environment, laying a strong foundation for future academic success.
9. Self-regulated learners: Our programme nurtures self-regulated learners, empowering students to take ownership of their learning, develop critical thinking skills, and become confident, independent thinkers.
10. Positive identity development: As our learners progress through our programme, they develop a positive sense of identity, equipped with the skills and confidence to interact, reflect, and contribute meaningfully to their own learning and development.
11. Skill and disposition development: The programme focuses on cultivating essential skills and dispositions that support students’ learning journey, including critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and resilience – setting them up for success, both academically and personally.
12. Language immersion: With our unique language immersion approach, offered through Hindi, Tamil, Mandarin, and French, our students are exposed to a rich linguistic environment, empowering them to engage with multiple languages before they transition to primary school, where they can select a language they wish to pursue further.
13. Learning outcomes: We value the process of learning and ensure it is documented throughout the year through continuous observations, student conversations, feedback, and feed-forward mechanisms. This documentation allows us to measure progress against learning outcomes and individual developmental milestones, ensuring every child’s growth is tracked and supported.
14. Beyond Early Years: Our programme not only prepares children for success in their early years but also equips them with essential skills and a love for learning that will serve them well beyond their time with us.
If you are keen to know more about IB PYP Early Years at GIIS SMART Campus, please feel free to contact our admissions team.
Learn more:
Kanika Bhardwaj
Kanika has been a dedicated primary teacher for the past 10 years, bringing her passion for early childhood education to classrooms. With extensive experience in various curricula in both India and Singapore, she currently teaches the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), Early Years (EY) at GIIS SMART Campus. Kanika is committed to fostering a nurturing and engaging learning environment, ensuring that each child’s unique potential is recognised and nurtured.
