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THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY

Helping Your Child Ask Big, Bold Questions! 🧐✨

06.01.2025

Helping Your Child Ask Big, Bold Questions! 🧐✨

Hello, parents! This week, we’re diving into one of the most exciting parts of the Exhibition journey—framing inquiry questions! A well-crafted question can turn a simple topic into a fascinating, multi-layered exploration. Your child will be learning how to create powerful, open-ended questions that lead to deeper understanding. And you can be part of the process by helping them think big, stay curious, and keep it fun!

How You Can Help at Home This Week

Here are some simple and engaging ways to support your child in developing their questions. You’ll get a chance to model curiosity, explore new ideas together, and see just how much they love to learn when it’s about things that matter to them!

1. “Why? Why? Why?” Game 🎲

What to Do: Pick one of their potential topics and start asking a series of “why” questions about it! Each time they give an answer, ask “why” again, and keep going until they’ve thought about it from multiple angles. For example, if their topic is animals, you could ask, “Why do you think animals are important to people?” and follow up with “Why do people and animals depend on each other?” etc.
Make It Fun: Set a timer for 5 minutes and see how many times you can ask “why” before you both run out of answers. You can also try switching roles and letting your child ask the “why” questions.
Why It Helps: This game encourages them to dig deep, breaking down their topic into smaller, curious questions—just what they need to build a strong inquiry question.

2. Explore “How” and “What If” Questions 🌍🤔

What to Do: Help your child think about questions that start with “How” or “What if.” For example, “How do animals help our environment?” or “What if people didn’t recycle?” These types of questions encourage them to think about cause and effect, possibilities, and big ideas.
Make It Fun: Write some “How” and “What if” starters on slips of paper, put them in a bowl, and let your child draw one to finish with their own ideas.
Why It Helps: Open-ended questions lead to rich answers. “How” and “What if” questions spark curiosity and encourage them to think in bigger, more complex ways.

3. Spark Ideas with “Wonder Time” 🧠🌌

What to Do: Create a time to sit together and just wonder aloud. This can be at the dinner table, during a walk, or even in the car. Start by saying something like, “I wonder why…” or “I wonder how…” about a topic, and let your child add their own ideas or questions. You could say, “I wonder how animals know where to find food” or “I wonder why the ocean is salty.”
Make It Fun: Try passing a small object (like a stone or stuffed toy) between you; whoever is holding it gets to share their “wonder” question, then passes it on.
Why It Helps: This helps build their ability to think of open-ended questions, boosting their confidence in framing big ideas on their own.

4. The “Question Makeover” Challenge 🔄✍️

What to Do: If your child has a question that sounds too simple (like “What do animals eat?”), help them turn it into a more open-ended question. For instance, “How do animals choose what to eat in different environments?” or “What if an animal's food source disappeared?” Encourage them to look for questions that don’t have an easy answer.
Make It Fun: Challenge them to “remix” each question into three different open-ended versions. You can also take turns doing a “question makeover” to see who can make the most interesting one.
Why It Helps: This activity turns simple questions into complex ones, encouraging them to think about the broader impact and connections of their topic.

Helping Your Child Discover Their Passion

11.11.2024

Welcome back, parents! This week is all about choosing a topic for the Exhibition—one of the most exciting steps in the journey! Finding a topic that sparks true curiosity and passion is key, so we’ll be working with the students to explore what excites them, what puzzles them, and what matters most to them in the world. Your support at home can make a huge difference!

How You Can Help at Home This Week

This week, you’ll be helping your child explore what interests them most. Here are some creative and fun ways to get them thinking deeply about their potential Exhibition topic:

1. Host a “Passion Brainstorm” Session 🧠💡

What to Do: Set aside a little time to brainstorm possible topics with your child. Grab a big piece of paper or a whiteboard and just start listing out all the things they’re interested in, from sports to space to social issues. No idea is too silly or too small!
Make It Fun: Write their ideas in colorful markers or turn it into a “lightning round” where they have 10 seconds to shout out as many things they’re curious about as possible.
Why It Helps: Sometimes just talking ideas out loud can lead to a big “aha!” moment. Plus, it shows them that their ideas are exciting and worth exploring

2. Create a “Curiosity Jar” 🔍

What to Do: Grab a jar or box, some small pieces of paper, and a pen. Every time they mention something they’re curious about, write it down, fold it up, and add it to the jar. At the end of the week, sit down together and go through their “curiosity collection” to see if any ideas spark inspiration.
Make It Fun: Decorate the jar together and keep it in a visible place as a reminder that curiosity is encouraged and celebrated.
Why It Helps: This simple activity makes curiosity a daily habit, and the jar can become a go-to source of inspiration throughout the project.

3. Share Your “Why” Moments 🌍❤️

What to Do: Share a few things you’re passionate about and explain why they matter to you. For example, you could talk about why you love your job, why you care about the environment, or why you enjoy a particular hobby. Then ask your child if there’s anything they feel strongly about too.
Make It Fun: Make it a family affair! Ask siblings or grandparents to share what they care about and why.
Why It Helps: Kids love to hear real stories from people they admire. When you show your excitement for learning and passions, they’ll feel more confident exploring their own.

4. Try a “Walk and Talk” Exploration 🚶‍♀️💬

What to Do: Go for a short walk together, whether it’s in the neighbourhood, at a park, or even just around the house. Use this time to chat about things they’re curious about. Sometimes being on the move makes it easier for them to open up and share what’s on their mind.
Make It Fun: Pick a few topics ahead of time and see if you can “spot” things related to them on the walk (e.g., “Can we find any animals?” “What makes that tree so tall?”).
Why It Helps: Changing the scenery can help them think in new ways. Plus, a little fresh air and movement can spark creativity!

Key Takeaway for the Week

The goal this week is to help your child uncover what truly excites them. Remind them that the Exhibition is their chance to investigate something meaningful and personal. By helping them brainstorm and keeping the mood light, you’re setting them up to feel inspired and motivated.

Next week, we’ll be diving into framing big questions—the “how” and “why” behind their chosen topics! Thank you for being such an important part of their Exhibition experience. Your support and curiosity help fuel their learning!

Here’s to a week full of big ideas and even bigger curiosity! 🌈

What is the PYP Exhibition?

04.11.2024

Welcome to the PYP Exhibition Journey!

Welcome, family, to the PYP Exhibition! 🎉 This year we’re embarking on an incredible journey alongside our young learners. The PYP Exhibition is the pinnacle of your child’s primary school experience—a chance to showcase their knowledge, creativity, and growth. Each week, we’ll be sharing insights, tips, and fun ways for you to be a part of this adventure.

What is the PYP Exhibition?

The PYP Exhibition is a collaborative project where students dive deep into a topic they’re passionate about. Think of it as a mix of research, action, and creativity, all rolled into one powerful learning experience. They’ll explore big questions, connect ideas, and work with friends and mentors. It’s a journey where they not only learn about their chosen topic but also discover new things about themselves.

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) exhibition represents a significant event in the life of a PYP school and student, synthesizing the essential elements of the PYP, and sharing them with the whole school community. As a culminating experience it is an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the International Baccalaureate (IB) learner profile that have been developing throughout their engagement with the PYP.

How You Could Help at Home This Week

1. Encourage Curiosity 🕵️‍♀️

What to Do: Start casual, open-ended conversations about topics they find interesting. Ask questions like, “If you could learn about anything in the world, what would it be?” or “What’s something that really matters to you?”
Why It Matters: The exhibition is all about curiosity and passion. Helping them explore interests sparks excitement and builds a foundation for their inquiry.

2. Share Your Passions 💡

What to Do: Talk about things you love to learn or explore—whether it’s a hobby, history, science, or even fun facts about something unusual! Let them know it’s cool to be curious.
Why It Matters: Kids model what they see. When you share your interests, it shows them that learning is a lifelong joy!

3. Celebrate the Big Picture 🖼️

What to Do: Help them think about the “big ideas” by chatting about news, nature, or big questions about the world. For example, “What do you think animals feel?” or “Why do you think people have different cultures?”
Why It Matters: This encourages them to think beyond just facts and to start wondering about the world, which is at the heart of the PYP Exhibition.

4. Set Up a “Curiosity Corner” at Home 🌎

What to Do: Create a small space where they can post questions, doodle ideas, or keep inspiring books and objects. Keep it simple—a bulletin board or even just a small table with paper and markers will do.
Why It Matters: A dedicated space shows them that this project is important and helps keep their ideas organized and accessible.

Your Role: The Super Supporter 🦸

You’re not just cheering from the sidelines! As a guardian/parent, you’re a key player in this journey, helping to keep things positive, fun, and encouraging. Don’t worry—you don’t need to know all the answers (in fact, it’s better if you don’t)! Instead, be there to listen, ask questions, and create a supportive environment at home.

PARENTS PRESENTATION

_PYPX Parent Presentation

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