An IB Primer

IB: International Baccalaureate, a program offered by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) for authorized schools. There are over 752,000 IB students in preschool to 12th grade at nearly 3000 schools in 138 countries.

PYP: Primary Years Programme, the IBO program for ages 3 to 12, designed to foster the development of the whole child.

The IB-PYP uses six trans-disciplinary themes as a framework for exploration and study:

  • 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.

Within each theme, teachers create an age-appropriate central idea that concisely expresses an enduring understanding. It is substantial enough to generate in-depth inquiries, promote critical thinking, and extend students’ prior knowledge. The central idea becomes the basis for a unit of inquiry.

For each unit of inquiry, students first assess “what we know” about the central idea. Next, students generate questions for “what we want to know.” The teacher then uses various engaging activities and assignments to guide students in answering their questions. At the end of each unit, students reflect on their learning and review “what we learned.”

Throughout the process, students and teachers strive to model the PYP Learner Profile to be:

  • Inquirers
  • Knowledgeable
  • Thinkers
  • Communicators
  • Principled
  • Open-minded
  • Caring
  • Risk-takers
  • Balanced
  • Reflective

For more information, please see  www.intlschool.org/ib or www.ibo.org


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