Last week, I spoke about Milford School being an IB Primary Years Programme World School. The six transdisciplinary themes are our six Units of Inquiry across the school year. In each of these units, there are essential components of the programme. This week, we look at the Learner Profile Attributes.

An essential part of the IB PYP is the Learner Profile. This profile is made up of ten attributes that, through the Units of Inquiry and in everyday teaching and learning at Milford School, we strive to develop in our learners. 

We specifically plan to develop 2-3 of the attributes in every unit we teach. Each teaching team also has ways to focus on the attributes, such as the Year 0/1 team who celebrate learners who show the Learner Profile attribute, each week in their hui. You may have seen their photos in the newsletter! Children become familiar with the vocabulary and each year as they grow, they understand the meaning of each attribute more and more deeply. 

Our learners are working to become:

Inquirers                    Knowledgeable           Thinkers

Communicators.       Principled                    Open-minded

Caring                        Risk-takers                  Balanced

Reflective

The wonderful thing about the attributes is that you can talk about these at home with your family, and identify which attributes you as parents show every day in your jobs, and at home! By also using this vocabulary at home, the children are even more familiar with it and come to know that the attributes not only apply in school time but that they also apply to all ages and stages of their lives. Why not try to identify an attribute in your child at home? Have they been caring to a sibling? Have they tried a new activity that caused them to be a risk-taker? Are they learning to communicate feelings rather than lashing out physically? Are they showing interest in a particular topic or event and inquiring into it independently? Do they participate happily in a variety of activities that make their lives balanced? We as parents have many opportunities to help our children develop into lifelong learners and valuable members of society and the Learner Profile attributes are what we aspire for our children to be.

I have attached some Learner Profile attributes graphics, as well as the LPAs in Te Reo Maori. There is also a list of ideas for how you might focus on the LPAs at home. Enjoy!

Next week: Key Concepts.