Primary Years (K-5)
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is a curriculum framework specifically designed for the international education of students aged 3 to 12. The PYP focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in local, national, and global environments. The curriculum represents a combination of research and experience; it includes excellent teaching and learning practices derived from a variety of national systems and independent schools from around the world. It is an international, transdisciplinary programme.
The PYP focuses on the total growth of the developing child, touching hearts as well as minds, and encompassing social, physical, emotional, and cultural needs in addition to academic progress. Within the PYP, it is believed that student learning is best done when it is authentic and relevant to the “real” world. The PYP curriculum has an international perspective where the diversity of student experiences and backgrounds is welcomed and celebrated.
The PYP Programme at TCIS
TCIS is an IB World School and provides the complete continuum of the three IB programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the Diploma Programme (DP). Dedicated and invested professionals at TCIS have collaborated for many years to design and implement a vertically aligned written, taught, and assessed curriculum that prepares TCIS graduates for a successful transition to university and into the workplace.
The IB provides high-quality professional development, regional and international conferences, detailed IB standards and practices, and rigorous evaluation processes to ensure the successful implementation of the three programmes. International families can confidently transition among IB schools around the world and be assured their children will experience common learning environments.
The IB Learner Profile connects IB programmes and schools across all continents. The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.
TCIS school leaders, teachers, and students continually strive to grow and develop in response to the mission statement of the International Baccalaureate.
PYP Subject Areas
The PYP curriculum framework enables students to develop essential intellectual skills in engaging and challenging learning environments where deeper understanding of key concepts is nurtured. PYP educators design six specific units using a common PYP planner with a balance of the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills, development of conceptual understandings, demonstration of positive attitudes, and an expectation for responsible student action.
Teachers build on students' prior experiences and knowledge and provide opportunities for students to steadily move to more complex levels of creative and critical thinking. Using structured inquiry, the students engage in purposeful learning as they develop an understanding of the world around them. Simultaneously, they learn valuable communication and collaborative skills so they will be able to engage fully with our ever-evolving world.