Tuning into How The World Works

My name is Brenda, and I'm the PYP curriculum coordinator here at Hillside. Thank you to all parents that have been so supportive throughout the beginning of school transition period, it has certainly been a very eventful start to the school year as the children have settled into their new classes and giving it a go with different learning experiences. 

The IBPYP framework guides your child’s learning experiences at Hillside. I look forward to sharing with you the many ways your children are accessing various areas of the curriculum via this K2 Learning Blog. Check in throughout the year to see updates!


What are the K2 children inquiring into right now?


Throughout the span of the K2 year, children will be inquiring into 4 different trandisciplinary themes. In the past 2 weeks, they have started tuning into the unit How The World Works by demonstrating their prior knowledge through class discussions and play. The learning environment on the K2 floor have also been purposefully set up with toys and materials that serve as provocations for the unit, encouraging children to think about design and creation during unstructured play.


Key information on the unit of inquiry as well as learning outcomes can be found on the class site, or you can choose to hear me walk through the unit below:



How does the Open Play programme support my child's inquiry-based learning?

In K2, our daily Open Play programme continues to be a vital part of the curriculum and provides endless opportunities for early learners to exercise agency, acquire and develop different skills, and process and construct meaning relevant to their experiences.


As children play, teachers observed closely to gather students' prior understanding of the central idea:


  • How do people design and create?

  • What kind of choices can we make during the design and creation process?

  • What materials can you use, and why might you change your mind along the way?

  • How can people work together to design and create for a common purpose?








It is important to us that we give children the time and space to share their knowledge at the start of a unit; by exercising learner agency, children have voice, choice, and ownership over their own learning.

After these 2 weeks of tuning in, the K2 teachers will come together and discuss the children’s prior knowledge, the theories they came up with, and the questions they have in order to form the direction of the learning ahead.


Here are some of the picture books that classes used to help children tune into the unit and get them thinking about design and creation:





If you ever have any questions or would like to further your understanding in anything related to curriculum, learning & teaching, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me at brenda.yuen@hillside.edu.hk

We look forward to continuing our strong home-school partnership with you!

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