Young male student listening to instruction in the Lower School library

 

Pre-elementary AT ISI

The ISI Lower School nurtures and develops young students as caring, active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.

Following the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) we begin with pre-elementary classes for students ages 3 through 5 (kindergarten).

We believe that each child enters our school already possessing a wide range of knowledge, skills, attitudes and understandings about our world. Using our play-based and inquiry-based PYP curriculum, our teachers, all of whom are native speakers of the target language as well as English-proficient, work with and empower our young students to question, problem solve, take action, and reflect.

Through our program, students not only learn to speak an additional language, but they also learn how to successfully navigate change, develop the intercultural competence to easily flow between different cultures, and embrace perspectives other than their own.

Early Years Program & Multi-Age Classrooms

ISI utilizes multi-age classrooms for students age three to four. The structure has cognitive and social development benefits for our preschool-age students and ensures they are prepared for kindergarten. The multi-age format offers increased flexibility to meet a wide range of abilities and to address the unique needs of each student. To learn more about multi-age classrooms and our Early Years Program, visit our FAQ page

Curriculum

Using a structured inquiry-based approach, the PYP gives children a strong foundation in languages, mathematics, social studies, science, visual arts, music, physical education, and personal and social education. The Units of Inquiry are transdisciplinary themes that include and transcend subject areas and are used to learn about the world.  Students in the 3 year old class have four units of inquiry, pre-kindergarten have five units of inquiry and starting in  Kindergarten each grade level has six units of inquiry.

School Day

The Lower School starts classes each morning at 8:15 a.m. and the school day ends each day at 3:00 p.m. All pre-elementary students have morning and lunch recesses, and a nap/quiet time in the afternoon followed by a snack.

With nine teachers and nine assistant teachers, the overall student-faculty ratio in pre-elementary classes is 8:1. Pre-elementary classes can vary in size from very small to a maximum of 14 students in the 3 years old class, 16 in Pre-Kindergarten and 18 in Kindergarten.

Areas of Study

School News

ISI Staff

The MYP Personal Project is an independent and significant piece of work completed by students in grade 10. It allows students to showcase their skills, talents, and personal growth while engaging with real-world issues they care about. The project spans several months, during which students work independently to plan, execute, and reflect on their chosen endeavors.

Inside the IB: Grade 3
ISI Staff

ISI grade 3 students just finished their unit, How We Organize Ourselves: responsible use of money may determine how people live. The unit works as an inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities, the structure and function of organizations, societal decision-making, economic activities, and their impact on humankind and the environment.