What the IB Primary Years Programme Means for Your Child
Updated: Oct 9
What is the PYP?
The IB Primary Years Programme is designed for children ages 3 to 10. Instead of teaching subjects in isolation, it builds learning around inquiry: children explore big ideas and construct their own understanding through investigation and reflection.
Each year is organized around six transdisciplinary themes:
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
Every unit centers on a meaningful “central idea” with three or four lines of inquiry. Math, language arts, science, social studies, arts and PE are woven through each one.
Why it motivates kids
When children see, in real time, how their skills help solve real problems, they want to learn those skills. A unit on “Sharing the planet” gives purpose to reading, measuring, writing and presenting.
At Terra, students are also grouped by ability rather than age in subjects like math and languages. Today, 1 in 5 students takes a course beyond their grade level.
The IB learner profile
The PYP aims to grow learners who are:
Inquirers: curious about local and global issues
Thinkers: creative, analytical problem-solvers
Communicators: confident in multiple languages and caring toward others
Resilient: adaptable and open to new perspectives
Principled: guided by ethics and integrity
Balanced: healthy in mind, heart and body
The Terra difference
What makes IB at Terra unusual is what it’s paired with: Spanish and Mandarin immersion, weekly outdoor excursions and student-led discussions. Children don’t just study the world; they go out and investigate it, in more than one language.
Learn more about the IB at Terra Schools, or send us an inquiry.