PYP to MYP Transition

Introduction

The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) are two of the four IB programmes offered by the International Baccalaureate (IB). PYP caters to children from the ages of 3 to 12, and MYP is for children from the ages of 11 to 16. The difference between the two programmes isn’t as vast as one might think, with both programmes sharing many of the same core principles and values. When both the PYP and MYP programmes are implemented at the school, one might need to do a presentation to parents or the school community about how the two programmes are the same and how they are different. It may be helpful to consider the similarities and differences between the PYP and the MYP to support students as they transition between the two.

Curriculum approach

Though the PYP and MYP share many fundamental principles, each program’s curriculum is crafted to uniquely meet the needs of students.

PYP students develop knowledge, skills, and conceptual understanding while exploring six curricular areas through six transdisciplinary themes. Teachers plan collaboratively, exploiting the connections between subjects in order to effect learning transfer. The programme is designed to provoke and support student led action and culminates in the PYP exhibition.

MYP students continue to develop their knowledge, conceptual understanding and skills by studying eight subjects through the global contexts and participating in interdisciplinary learning at least once per MYP year. They are involved with service as action and their learning culminates in a personal project, a student-initiated independent inquiry project.

The PYP aims to develop transdisciplinary thinking, where students consider connections between disciplines, topics, situations and contexts. A transdisciplinary unit eliminates barriers between disciplines. In the MYP, in addition to single discipline study, students also participate in interdisciplinary learning by integrating two subject groups or between different disciplines with a subject group. Check out my post, Interdisciplinary Instruction, to know more about the difference between transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and multidisciplinary.

Curriculum Content

PYP students inquire into, and learn about, globally significant issues in the context of six units of inquiry, in Grades 1 through 5 and four units in EY 1 through EY 3 at KIS. Each unit of inquiry unpacks a central idea which addresses universal and enduring conceptual understandings. Lines of inquiry define the scope of the unit more specifically addressing curriculum objectives from the scope and sequence documents for each subject area.

MYP students also inquire into and learn about locally and globally significant issues through eight subject groups. The MYP PYP continuum is designed to allow both programmes to engage with curriculum content that contributes to a holistic education for all learners. Curriculum content in MYP builds on what was learned in the PYP. At KIS, MYP students study four units of work per subject, except for two units in visual arts, drama, and design subjects. Each unit is explored through a particular global context with an exploration. Grade 10 students can choose to study visual arts, drama or design for one semester for two subjects or a year of one. The curriculum flexibility allows students to explore their interests and assists with their DP course choices.

Real-life learning

PYP students explore six transdisciplinary themes of global significance. These themes are selected for their relevance to the real world and offer students the opportunity to explore the commonalities of human experience. They are described as transdisciplinary because they focus on issues that transfer across, and are not confined by, traditional subject areas.

MYP students connect their learning with their lives and the world they have experienced through global contexts, which can be real-world problems, situations, events, and circumstances. The MYP identifies six global contexts for teaching and learning that are developed from and extend the PYP’s transdisciplinary themes. These contexts provide a link between what is learned in school and what happens outside of school.

The two programmes work together to provide a coherent educational experience for students at every level of schooling. Students who complete both programmes will have an enhanced ability to think critically about complex issues in order to act responsibly within a constantly changing world.

Assessment

In the PYP, the focus is on assessment for learning, which is used to inform and drive learning forward. Teachers identify core assessment outcomes for each unit of learning referring to scope and sequence documents, and all tasks are designed to provide opportunities to demonstrate growth. Students are assessed against the selected assessment outcomes throughout each unit, and teachers use assessment data to adjust learning plans. In the PYP, peer assessment, self-assessment and student self-reflection play an important role. At KIS, students use Seesaw as their portfolio to record, share evidence of their thinking, and reflect on their thinking and growth in learning and share with others.

MYP assessment is internally assessed based on subject-specific criteria. Each MYP subject assesses students on four equally weighted criteria. Some of these criteria will have the same letter in each subject where that criteria are assessed. For example, knowing and understanding will always be criterion A, and Communicating will always be criterion C. There are a total of eight achievement levels (1-8) broken into four bands with unique descriptors that teachers use to make judgments about students’ work. The total marks for each subject are 32 points. Teachers use the IB published grade boundaries to award students an MYP 1-7 grade. KIS students use learning portfolios via google sites to record their learning.

In both programmes, teachers use a variety of assessment tools and strategies to foster engagement and offer feedback for continual improvement. Many tasks can be done as whole-class activities or with partners and small groups. Students can also work individually or in small teams on some tasks. Teachers discuss the assessments in class so that students understand how they are assessed, what is expected from them, how they will be assessed and what is important when it comes to assessment.

Approaches to learning skills

The PYP Approaches to learning (ATL) are five sets of interrelated skills, designed to support transfer of learning between curricular areas. These are thinking skills, research skills, communication skills, social skills and self-management skills, with associated sub-skills. Teachers work with students to raise cognition of the acquisition and application of these skills, using them purposefully to support goal setting.

Approaches to learning (ATL) in the MYP focuses on helping students develop the self-knowledge and skills they need to enjoy a lifetime of learning. ATL skills empower students to meet the challenging objectives of MYP subject groups and prepare them for further success in the rigorous DP programme. These ATL skills help students “learn how to learn” and are transferable across curriculums and into their personal life.

The ATL skills serve as a foundation for learning, in which students develop an enquiring mind and become critical thinkers, communicators, risk-takers, knowledgeable learners, reflective practitioners and responsible citizens. In both programmes, teachers explicitly teach ATL skills by equipping students with specific strategies.

Suggestion for the PYP and MYP transition

Leaving one IB programme for another will inevitably involve change. The first goal is to establish a sense of safety and trust with both students and parents. The school provides a clear view of how the PYP and MYP are closely connected and how students will be assisted. In my opinion, it’s not necessary to bombard parents with excessive information about curriculum and assessments from the very beginning. The MYP curricular information can be conveyed through a series of parent workshops. Another strategy is to make good use of parent representatives, who serve as a source of support for families and help other parents understand the MYP.

PYP to the MYP transition infographic

To help our grade 5 parents understand how the PYP and MYP are connected, I have designed this infographic to explain the continuum of the two programmes. This is just a brief overview of how the two programmes are aligned with each other. Not all of our parents speak fluent English. Considering this, I try to make the information easy and accessible to our parents. Four five aspects are identified: 

• curriculum approach; 
• curriculum content; 
• real-life learning;
• assessment; 
• approaches to learning skills.  

You can download the PDF file by clicking the image below. If you are interested in obtaining the original file to revise, modify or translate in another language, you can purchase it as a template. Feel free to contact me. If this information is helpful, I always appreciate a cup of coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/alisonyang.

Leave me a comment and share how you or your school has helped students and parents transition from the PYP to the MYP.