Designing structures that explicitly address overload to support improved learning in the PYP
Christine Lang MEd, PhD, was one of the original authors of the IB’s Primary Years Program.
As an original author of the IB’s Primary Years Programme and having had the opportunity to teach and lead it
for over 30 years, Christine has a deep understanding of the challenges in implementing the PYP with integrity,
especially as a result of the global pandemic. It can be challenging to know which elements of the PYP are
ultimately essential when there is often not enough time to include all of them authentically.
Christine has created a model under the Core & More umbrella. Core content and data
points in each subject have been aligned with core Approaches to Learning Skills for each grade (currently
available for Grades 2-5) to create ‘learning blocks’. This greatly reduces the number of ‘moving parts’ that
teachers and teams are faced with when planning and, at the same time, creates more time for differentiation
and inquiry. This approach reduces overwhelm and also amplifies transdisciplinarity and strengthens articulation
across the IB programmes.
