Primary Years Program (PYP) Overview

The IB Primary Years Program (PYP) at International Scholars Academy serves students in Kindergarten through Grade 5, offering a dynamic and inquiry-driven learning experience that nurtures the whole child. Grounded in global perspectives and Islamic values, the PYP inspires students to think critically, ask meaningful questions, take initiative, and explore their world with curiosity and confidence.

Through a transdisciplinary approach, students learn across and beyond traditional subject boundaries. Instruction integrates English Language Arts, Arabic, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Islamic Studies, the Arts, Physical Education, and Health, allowing students to build connections and apply their learning to authentic, real-life contexts.

PYP places strong emphasis on:

• Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills such as collaboration, communication, research, self-management, and critical thinking.
• The IB Learner Profile, developing students who are principled, caring, open-minded, reflective, knowledgeable, and inquisitive.
• Student agency, empowering children to make choices, take ownership of their learning, and actively contribute to their classroom community.
• Meaningful action, encouraging students to apply their learning in ways that benefit themselves, their peers, and the wider world.

A Transdisciplinary Framework

Student learning is guided by six global 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

These themes allow students to see connections across disciplines and explore concepts in depth, developing both understanding and compassion.

Signature PYP Experiences

Throughout the year, students engage in a variety of experiences that enrich their learning, including field trips connected to Units of Inquiry, Learning Showcases, STEM challenges, science fairs, Arabic language events, Quran recitations, poetry competitions, spelling bees, math competitions, Unity Day, Friday Clubs, and student-led conferences.  The PYP Exhibition, completed by Grade 5 students, is the culminating learning experience of the Primary Years Program. It is a student-driven project in which learners investigate an issue or topic they care deeply about, conduct research, develop original ideas, take meaningful action, and present their findings to the school community. The Exhibition demonstrates the skills, approaches to learning, and independence students have developed throughout their PYP journey and serves as a bridge to success in the Middle Years Program.