IB Reggio Inspired PYP Early Years – PODAR ORT

The IB Reggio Early Years Program has been established according to the standards and guidelines of the IB PYP and the Reggio Emilia Approach. It endeavors to create a strong developmental space that allows children to grow naturally with their environment as a third teacher. An important aspect of the Reggio Emilia Approach is that children are encouraged to explore with their senses. The approach fosters trust in children’s’ own capacities rather than teaching them through direct instruction. It also supports teaching through dialogue and interaction among teachers, caregivers, and families, who work together in harmony toward this objective.

It allows kids to be creative, playful, and free because they are allowed to play according to their strengths, skills, and interests by working autonomously. This approach mixed with IB early years program helps them learn how effective collaboration can be when youngers need to customize their learning experience in a safe environment where everyone respects each other.

Core features of IB early years program:

The pathways offered at the IB schools are designed to support students in their individual and professional development while getting the most out of school life. Learning is made fun and engaging by:

• Scheduling incessant playtime
• Creating long-lasting relationships with students and their families.
• Constructing and sustaining responsive spaces for play.
• Offering many opportunities for symbolic exploration and expression.

Each of these elements works in harmony with others and is interwoven to enhance the child’s learning process.

IB early years program offers a student-led learning environment that is more engaging for students because they are more involved in their learning experience. If a student takes responsibility for acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills to learn, they will be motivated to succeed. When a student’s curiosity drives them, their creative juices start flowing, and they begin to think outside of the box which helps them explore issues of local and global significance and think critically.

Playful exploration is an essential element of the IB early years program as it frees the student’s mind to explore the world around him/her more thoroughly. This journey of the learner is well documented that helps them to expand knowledge and understand specific topics and subjects.

• Flexible timeframes and routines according to the student’s need.
• Co-constructed play between teachers and students.
• Pertinent learning moments for the whole group.
• Learning spaces with play and choice as the central feature of everyday learning.
• Promote high levels of independence through learning spaces, offering access materials to give students more opportunities.
• Flexible unit of inquiry, centering on the significant concept in the lives of young students.
• Play, modeling behaviors, language, and music to develop self-regulation.

The inquiry and concept-based pedagogy and transdisciplinary nature of the IB early years program and Reggio Approach give learners opportunities to handle situations they are unfamiliar with and give them a unique setting to manifest the IB learner profiles.

IB early years program learners have opportunities to participate in the inquiry and concept-based pedagogy of the IB framework, which gives them a chance to conjure creative solutions to problems that occur. It also allows them to experience independent learning, an opportunity for them to manifest the IB learner profiles.