Preschool

Literacy at ICS is grounded in oral language. We believe that cognitive growth is enhanced through purposeful play, where children explore, negotiate, and construct meaning together. Within our print-rich environments, children engage in literacy for authentic purposes, developing the communication skills and Approaches to Learning (ATL) necessary for lifelong enquiry. Our curriculum aligns with the IB PYP language developmental phases, viewing literacy through four interconnected strands: listening and speaking; viewing and presenting; and reading and writing. In the Early Years, we immerse children in high-quality literature to foster international-mindedness and nurture each student’s evolving identity as a reader. We respect each child's unique learning profile; therefore, formal reading instruction begins when a child is developmentally ready. Through shared storytelling, students are empowered to enquire deeply and think critically about the perspectives within a text.

In the Preschool programmes, children construct mathematical meaning by building upon their personal experiences and prior knowledge. At ICS, we focus on key conceptual understandings, allowing students to master skills and transfer their learning across the curriculum in a purposeful, organised way. Teachers utilise rich, enquiry-based content to engage students in real-world problem solving, fostering agency and a genuine enjoyment of mathematics. Aligned with the IB PYP Mathematics scope and sequence, our approach ensures students engage with concrete and pictorial representations before moving toward abstract symbolic notation. This enquiry-led framework empowers students to make sense of complex problems, persevere in finding solutions, and apply their mathematical thinking to transdisciplinary units of enquiry.

As a multilingual community, we value the diverse linguistic profiles our students bring to school. While English is the primary language of instruction, our Preschool programmes prioritises immersion in both English and German, providing authentic opportunities for students to communicate and construct meaning. Language learning is differentiated to meet individual needs, supported by fluent German-speaking educators and integrated into transdisciplinary units of enquiry. German is woven into the daily experience based on a child’s developmental readiness. For students with German as a home language, we encourage them to plan and reflect on their enquiries in both languages, supporting their identity as bilingual readers and writers. Those new to the language are sensitively supported to follow routines and acquire key vocabulary through purposeful play. Our goal is to foster translanguaging—the confident, natural switching between languages—empowering students to use their full linguistic repertoire to enquire, explore, and connect with the world.

In our Early Years community, Personal, Social, and Physical Education (PSPE) is essential to our holistic approach, supporting both emotional development and physical well-being. Students develop international-mindedness by exploring the similarities and differences between themselves and others, while building self-management skills to express feelings and take responsibility for their actions. We prioritise student agency, encouraging children to interact effectively, share ideas, and master the social skills of collaboration and cooperation. Through purposeful physical activity, students explore their body’s capacity for movement, developing the confidence to be risk-takers in a safe environment. The IB PYP PSPE framework at ICS is integrated across three strands: Identity, Active Living, and Interactions. These are not taught in isolation but are woven into the transdisciplinary units of enquiry and daily life in the classroom and beyond, ensuring well-being is at the heart of the learning journey.

Young children naturally explore and experiment to make sense of the world. Learning Science in Preschool harnesses their natural creativity, and develops essential skills, critical thinking, and decision-making skills. As teachers support them to create their own Science experiences, they introduce them to scientific thinking and develop their core skills and curiosity. Children start to develop a thirst for Science and an understanding of the importance of collecting data and evidence to support their theories. Opportunities for scientific thinking will come from solving problems in the daily life of the classroom, or as a result of the enquiry-based units from the IB Primary Years Programme. Digital learning focuses on authentic, relevant and age-appropriate experiences. Digital literacy is taught through an integrated approach where students learn to be responsible, thoughtful and literate digital citizens.

Creative Arts are an integral part of the Preschool programme and is incorporated into specific units as a transdisciplinary means of communication. Preschool children experience a range of Creative Arts activities and develop a repertoire as part of their daily learning. Group activities allow opportunities to share, take turns and listen and respond to identify elements of Art, Music, Drama and Dance and they explore spontaneously as individuals through play-based activities. Children are also taught Art, Music, Drama, Dance through the integrated Arts programme.