5 2.2.4 Basic literacy skills – expand descriptions of basic literacy skills in guidance documents 5 2.2.5 Language descriptions across the disciplines – provide additional guidance on
Introduction
This final report of The Potentials of K–12 Literacy Development in the International
Baccalaureate PYP and MYP contains:
• an executive summary and key recommendations;
• a Literature Review pertaining to written, verbal and visual literacies in multilingual teaching contexts;
• a document analysis of selected International Baccalaureate (IB) documents using the key themes identified in the Literature Review The document analysis section comprises two main parts: a a discussion of the findings of the document audit b a visual representation of those findings
• Appendices which contain: a the completed matrices which were used to audit the selected IB documents; and b an Annotated Bibliography of selected articles from the Literature Review The articles have been selected on the basis of their currency and usefulness to curriculum managers and leaders to help convert theoretical constructs in literacy into school programmes and classroom practices.
Executive Summary
Overview
The purpose of this project is to investigate literacy within the IB Primary Years
This report addresses the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and is intended to inform the review processes for both programmes Specifically, the report will inform the PYP’s current full-programme review, while the MYP is expected to leverage the findings for future curriculum review processes as well as for immediate implementation and professional development planning.
This project investigates the extent to which the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) reflect the research base in developing literacy across K–12, considering curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, and identifies gaps in how these programmes support literacy development It also analyzes how PYP and MYP documents connect characteristics such as international mindedness, a global student cohort with complex language profiles, and the transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of the programmes to literacy development, and explores ways to strengthen these connections Together, these findings aim to guide literacy-focused curriculum design, instructional practice, and assessment strategies within the PYP and MYP to improve literacy outcomes.
This literature review informs the investigation by identifying key curriculum, pedagogic, and assessment considerations for developing literacy across and within K-12 grades It also examines the transition from general to discipline-specific literacy in adolescents, with particular attention to students receiving instruction in a non-native language Additionally, it explores learning progressions in K-12 literacy curriculum development and teaching practice, and analyzes how literacy relates to international mindedness within a globally diverse student cohort with complex language profiles, highlighting the transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of contemporary programmes.
The following key themes were drawn from the Literature Review: a theoretical perspectives; b basic literacy skills; c disciplinary literacy; d new literacies; and e multilingualism
These themes were then incorporated into coding matrices to analyse how the MYP
2015 new programme guides, and the current PYP curriculum, map onto the research base The following 10 recommendations were then drawn from the analysis of IB documentation
A full description of the recommendations is provided in the final section of this report.
Recommendations
Utilizing literacy themes as the framework and coding matrices as the methodological tool, this study carefully investigates how K–12 literacy develops across the IB continuum, with focused attention on the PYP and MYP The analysis identifies numerous examples of exemplary principles and practices within both programmes, and the recommendations are designed to extend and strengthen these strengths across the IB continuum.
While certain recommendations target a particular programme, the majority are applicable to both the PYP and MYP or to the IB as a whole The initial seven recommendations connect, though loosely, to the five literacy themes The final three recommendations address how these ideas translate into teaching methods, assessment approaches, and teachers’ professional development.
2.2.1 How language is learned – strengthen guidance on the ways learning is scaffolded through teacher and student interactions Constructivism and social constructivism need further theoretical explication within the IB documentation to aid teachers in making the links between the inquiry learning that is foundational to the
Within the IB framework, language learning can be scaffolded explicitly as an integral part of the approach, providing clear progression for students The PYP and MYP documentation could foreground these theoretical links, showing how learning emerges through scaffolded interactions between teachers and students and through explicit instructional supports embedded in daily practice By highlighting these connections, schools can align language instruction with IB principles, improving outcomes and making the role of scaffolded learning visible across grade levels.
2.2.2 Descriptions of language – develop two separate descriptions of progress for mother tongue language learning and additional language learning in the early and primary years A more fine-grained description of language learning is required to adequately track progress, particularly in the early phases of language learning A more detailed description of language learning would also aid teachers in complying with the Language and Learning in IB Programmes recommendation that teachers record information in student language profiles, mapping their progress in order to support planning for future differentiation
Mother tongue learning and additional language learning follow distinct trajectories shaped by different cognitive processes, social contexts, and instructional experiences Because of these differences, it is advisable to develop two separate descriptors to track language development in mother tongue acquisition and in learning additional languages, enabling more precise measurement of progress and more targeted teaching strategies.
2.2.3 Language development across the years – extend the PYP Language
Although the International Baccalaureate (IB) recognizes that language demands grow more complex as students progress through the years, there is no detailed blueprint describing exactly how these demands unfold within the MYP A more granular set of language and literacy descriptors within the Language Scope and Sequence would help illuminate how complexity increases and track changes in the linguistic expectations as schooling advances Focused work could identify gaps in current descriptors and map skills across the phases to capture the evolution from basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) to cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP).
We recommend expanding the IB’s language and literacy continuum to span the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) This broader scope would facilitate smoother transitions between programmes and enable teachers to monitor students’ language knowledge and literacy skills across levels, supporting coherent literacy development within the IB framework.
2.2.4 Basic literacy skills – expand descriptions of basic literacy skills in guidance documents The cross-programme language scope and sequence recommended above would extend the development of basic literacy to the MYP Further elaboration of the CALP framework to describe the transition from basic literacy skills to disciplinary literacy could be attached to the continuum document
Developing Academic Literacy in IB Programmes requires clearly articulating the basic literacy skills embedded within the Approaches to Learning (ATLs) across the two programmes, so learners have an easily identifiable pathway that links foundational literacy development to inquiry processes By clarifying these skills and their relationship to inquiry, the IB curriculum gains coherence, enables targeted instruction, and supports students’ ability to engage in research, reflection, and critical thinking within the IB framework.
2.2.5 Language descriptions across the disciplines – provide additional guidance on disciplinary literacy skills and language features Disciplinary literacy skills and their foundational disciplinary language features could be articulated within an expanded language scope and sequence This would also illustrate the shift from the everyday registers of BICS to the academic registers of CALP, as recommended above
Subject-specific language continua can accompany discipline documents as language addenda, offering targeted linguistic guidance alongside subject content A document that articulates the scope and sequence of how academic literacy develops, with explicit elaborations on what academic literacy looks like within each discipline, would be especially useful for educators and learners This resource could be presented as a further elaboration of the CALP framework in Developing Academic.
Literacy in IB Programmes, an extension of the PYP Language Scope and Sequence, or an addendum to the ATL skills document
2.2.6 New literacies - ensure the systematic representation of multiliteracies in PYP and MYP approaches to literacy Close attention to the development of multiliteracies in the PYP and MYP would support their actualisation within transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts for learning As noted with other aspects of literacy, the systematic representation of multiliteracies in support and guidance documents such as Language Scope and Sequence, the ATLs or subject- specific guides could then be carried forward into learning objectives and assessment criteria The digital framework for technology (Agency, Information and Design) should be used to make multimodal literacy skills and knowledge explicit.
Multilingualism – provide guidance on integrating multilingualism into planning and
Principles of multilingualism can be realized through everyday planning and assessment within IB programmes Guidance should include indicators or prompts in subject overviews and planners that show how additional languages can be used to explore the topics under instruction and highlight opportunities for multilingual practices across the curriculum.
Language-focused pedagogies – develop specific guidance on pedagogies that scaffold
Language and literacy within PYP and MYP documents form a core feature of the recommendations, and successful communication hinges on explicit language apprenticeship This means guiding learners into the academic language of schooling and equipping them to navigate the distinct language and literacy demands across disciplines so they can communicate effectively with others in diverse classroom and disciplinary contexts.
Although scaffolding and support are evident in IB documents, explicit, actionable examples of how this looks in practice are not clear To address this gap, we recommend developing language-focused pedagogies that work within authentic contexts, such as Scaffolding Literacy, a pedagogy that combines explicit language teaching with inquiry-based approaches By creating and sharing concrete examples of how these strategies support language development in real classroom contexts, schools can implement more effective scaffolding and clarify expectations for teachers and students across IB programs.
Develop case studies that explicitly demonstrate how language knowledge and literacy skills can be taught within authentic, context-rich settings These studies could showcase transdisciplinary unit samples in the PYP or illustrate how an interdisciplinary unit might integrate Science and Language in the MYP The case studies would offer concrete examples of teaching language and literacy in real-world contexts, reflecting the IB’s emphasis on inquiry-based, holistic, and meaningful learning, and would show how language and literacy demands contribute to developing conceptual understanding through a concept-driven approach.
Assessment – plan and assess for literacy outcomes
outcomes are formally assessed in the PYP, we recommend that changes to Language
The scope and sequence, as outlined in earlier recommendations, defines a clear progression of learning across identified literacy strands, and it is essential that language and literacy outcomes be clearly articulated and embedded into planning for learning and assessment to ensure alignment between instructional goals, curriculum delivery, and the evaluation of student progress.
In the MYP, literacy outcomes can be strengthened by tightening broad outcomes related to communication, broadening outcomes related to disciplinary literacy, and linking these to assessment criteria in all subject group guides This could be achieved by further explicating the ATL communication skills and expanding the language component of the curriculum to support integrated literacy across subjects.
Scope and Sequence, or the development of discipline-specific literacy outcomes.
Professional development for teachers – focus professional development and
To strengthen key aspects of literacy practice within IB programmes, specialists as well as classroom and subject-group teachers should pursue targeted professional development and rely on robust professional resources In the initial phase, training should deepen teacher content knowledge and pedagogical expertise in disciplinary language and literacy skills, multiliteracies, and multilingual instruction, enabling educators to support disciplinary literacy and inclusive reading and writing across all subjects.
Literature Review
To anchor the project, we conducted a thorough review of the current literature on literacy development, building a robust evidence base to inform practice and policy This literature review is designed as a practical resource for programme heads and curriculum managers, highlighting the latest research and outlining the evidence landscape that underpins the mapping of the IB document analysis.
The Literature Review synthesizes current perspectives on teaching and learning literacy to support IB curriculum reviews and professional learning planning It covers a broad field and concentrates on three core aspects of language and literacy: theoretical perspectives on literacy development and language acquisition; language and literacy development across the years of schooling; and pedagogical approaches to literacy development and language acquisition By integrating these dimensions, the review offers evidence-based guidance for curriculum design, teacher professional development, and future research priorities in literacy education This framework aims to inform ongoing and future IB curriculum reviews and planning to enhance literacy outcomes.
These sections examine the essential aspects of language and literacy teaching and instruction that were chosen to address the research brief: how the PYP and the MYP reflect the research base in developing literacy across grade levels within curriculum design, pedagogical approaches, and assessment practices The analysis clarifies the extent and manner in which inquiry-based frameworks in the PYP and MYP support reading, writing, speaking, and listening, grounded in evidence-based literacy strategies It also highlights how curriculum choices, classroom instruction, and assessment methods align to monitor and foster literacy development across different year levels Together, this synthesis offers an SEO-friendly overview of language and literacy education in the PYP and MYP for effective curriculum planning and classroom practice.
The following method was used for the Literature Review
A search of online databases of peer-reviewed literature from 2009 to the present was conducted The search was limited to studies of school-aged students, and the keywords included: literacy continua, literacy development, bi-multilingual instructional practices, discipline language, literacy and language across the curriculum, content-based language teaching, content and language integrated learning, text complexity, multiliteracies, school transitions, and translanguaging Seminal works in the field of language acquisition were also included
Articles meeting the criteria were screened, and 140 items were included in the final review: 91 journal articles, 30 books, 14 reports, and five websites These works were organized under themes aligned with the research questions and synthesized in the Literature Review A concise Annotated Bibliography of the selected works is provided in Appendix I of this report.
Most of the literature surveyed concentrates on languages with Latin-based alphabets, and the review relied on English-language resources, making Latin-script languages the most frequently represented in English-language literature To broaden understanding, future research should commission literacy studies not based on the Latin alphabet.
Success at school is a strong predictor of later occupational and social achievement, and this success is largely dependent on students’ literacy skills Literacy levels remain a perennial concern for governments worldwide, with worries about perceived drops in standards or aims to raise literacy driving a range of responses—from government inquiries (e.g., the UK Rose Report, the Australian National Inquiry into Reading) to large-scale policy initiatives (such as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top in the United States, and the National Literacy Strategy in the United Kingdom) and international testing programs.
International Student Assessment [PISA], Progress in International Reading Literacy Study
[PIRLS] as well as numerous national standardised tests of literacy which are often high- stakes tests in their national contexts)
Scholars, politicians, and industry leaders acknowledge that we live in a world of rapid technological development and evolving workplaces, yet they disagree on what counts as essential literacy for a productive society On one side, politicians, the media, and some employers advocate a back-to-basics agenda focused on traditional reading and writing, while on the other, academics and many researchers push for expanding literacy to include visual literacy, digital literacy, and critical literacy This tension, highlighted by Jewitt (2005), reveals competing visions of how best to prepare the next generation for a modern world.
This review analyzes both traditional and new literacies from the perspective of the literate citizen, cutting through binary debates to identify the core skills present in each It provides an integrated framework that educators and educational administrators can use to plan literacy policy and implementation, clarifying how traditional and new literacies intersect, diverge, and inform curriculum, assessment, and professional development in real-world classrooms.
This review aims to build a robust research base for evaluating literacy potential within the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) It clearly defines what literacy means in this context and clarifies related terminology that is frequently conflated with literacy, ensuring precise, consistent interpretation across studies and discussions.
In this review, literacy is defined as the ability to read and write text effectively and appropriately in a range of contexts, and for a variety of purposes and audiences
This review examines “new literacies” as described by Lankshear and Knobel (2006), defining the literacy practices needed to communicate effectively in an increasingly digital and multilingual global environment New literacies integrate multimodality, multilingualism, and multiculturalism with rapidly developing technologies, reflecting how people interact across diverse contexts Examples include visual literacy—the ability to view and create images appropriately for a range of contexts, purposes, and audiences—and multimodal literacy—the capacity to work effectively with text and images in multimodal environments for varied purposes and audiences, as described by Cope and Kalantzis.
Since each of these new literacies could warrant its own substantial literature review, and such reviews are beyond the scope of this project, new literacies are discussed in their broadest sense This approach accommodates the diversity and rapid evolution of literacies while providing a cohesive overview that helps readers understand their collective implications for teaching, learning, and information practices in contemporary settings By focusing on overarching themes rather than isolated subfields, the discussion remains accessible to a wide audience and enhances the presentation of topics related to digital literacy, media literacy, information literacy, and related skills.
Language knowledge is a fundamental component of literacy, and literacy competence hinges on how effectively we can use language Specifically, it depends on the repertoire of language resources we can draw upon to perform literate tasks such as reading and writing In short, the breadth and quality of our linguistic tools shape our overall literacy ability.
Literacy – the ability to read and write text effectively and appropriately in a range of contexts, and for a variety of purposes and audiences
Language knowledge – the requisite knowledge we bring to the task of reading and writing effectively
Intralanguage resources are the language features found within the language being learned, including how different grammatical structures shape meaning, and they are central to literacy learning Understanding these resources helps learners see how grammar constructs meaning in the target language and supports both comprehension and production For example, when the target language is English, instructional sentences often begin with imperative verbs, such as "Divide the circle into equal parts."
Language resources include our understanding of how other languages work, and we can draw on this knowledge to develop literacy skills; these insights are described as interlanguage resources For example, a native Greek speaker may use Greek imperative constructions that begin with the first-person verb, such as "I divide the circle into equal parts," as a point of contrast and comparison when learning the English imperative.
Document Analysis
This section presents a discussion of the document analyses, conducted with direct reference to the key themes identified in the preceding literature review The analysis aligns with these themes, and the discussion is organized around them, with the section structured into the subsections that follow.
• methodology used for the document analysis;
• an overview of commonalities found in the analyses;
• a discussion of the PYP document analysis; and
• a discussion of the MYP document analysis
The analysis of continuum documents has been incorporated into both the PYP and the MYP discussions
The matrices which contain the raw data for the analysis discussion are provided in the Appendices of this report The discussion of the findings recorded in the matrices describes the strengths, gaps and opportunities for curriculum, approaches to teaching and learning, and assessment in the primary and middle years programmes in relation to the five literacy themes identified from the Literature Review
The document analysis used an inductive thematic analysis methodology (Guest et al,
2012) This involved the identification, in consultation with the IB, of five key themes arising from the Literature Review, a first reader reading through and coding identified themes within all documents provided by the IB line by line This was synthesised into a series of matrices (at Appendices E to H) and verified by a second reader
Two basic coding matrices were developed to interrogate and code IB documents, focusing on (a) language and literacy objectives and goals embedded in the curriculum, and (b) approaches to teaching and assessing language and literacy The matrices provide a structured framework for systematically analyzing how language and literacy are addressed in IB materials, guiding evaluation of curricular aims and instructional practices.
All matrices share a similar coding structure, with variations by document source—PYP, MYP, or continuum—and by whether the analysis focused on language and literacy goals and objectives or on teaching and assessment issues The vertical dimension of every matrix remains fixed, comprising the five literacy themes derived from the literature review.
4.2.1.1 Theoretical perspectives Using this code, documents were examined for reference to a theoretical perspective References to theoretical perspectives are considered in the light of the linguistic, psychological and neurological research traditions that inform theories of first and second language acquisition identified in the Literature Review, notably, behaviourism, nativism, and social interactionism Consideration was given to the principal literacy pedagogies – didactic, authentic, functional, and critical literacy, also discussed within the Literature Review
This code identifies references to language and literacy learning approaches rooted in specific theoretical perspectives, illustrating how language and literacy development is conceptualised and represented Although the code requires only mention of a theoretical perspective, the accompanying commentary discusses the extent to which documents present a coherent and consistent theoretical position on language and literacy The theoretical perspective code also provides an overview of key programme approaches.
4.2.1.2 Basic literacy skills Using this code, documents were examined for reference to listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, as they were developed and applied in the language of instruction The code also identified references to foundational literacy skills such as coding (encoding and decoding) practices, text meaning practices (text participant), and pragmatic practices (text user) This included references to text types and genre
This code calls for mention of basic literacy skills, while the accompanying commentary analyzes how the documents offer useful detail for teaching and assessment and tracks literacy development along a continuum with emphasis on key transition points It notes the specialised nature of disciplinary literacy—the social, semiotic, and cognitive practices unique to each discipline—and the nuanced development of CALP, as discussed in Section 1 of the Literature Review, together with discipline-specific literacy tasks The code also references practices and strategies that support disciplinary literacy and describes how language demands shift across the continuum over the years of schooling, with particular attention to the critical transition points.
4.2.1.4 New literacies Using this code, documents were examined for reference to multiliteracies, that is, multiple communication modes, including linguistic, visual, audio, gestural, spatial, and multimodal systems, and the multiple cultural and linguistic differences that exist within and between groups that influence the kind of language we use and when and where we use it
This code identifies references to critical literacy practices and the transformative potential of literacy learning, emphasizing its power to empower citizens who shape language rather than merely use it The accompanying commentary evaluates the extent to which IB documents reflect or anticipate the demands of new literacies in contemporary contexts It also considers additional language acquisition, the acknowledgment and use of students’ mother tongues, and the complexity of their linguistic profiles, along with multilingual instructional practices that leverage students’ linguistic resources Given multilingualism’s role in fostering intercultural understanding, the code links literacy development to the promotion of international mindedness.
The horizontal headings of the matrices varied by document source—PYP, MYP, or continuum documents—and by whether the analysis focused on language and literacy goals and objectives or on teaching and assessment issues Consequently, PYP, MYP, and continuum documents were coded using separate matrices.
4.2.1 Coding literacy objectives and goals The curriculum documents provided by the IB were examined to determine the ways and extent to which the IB and in particular the PYP and MYP reflect the research base in how they describe literacy objectives and goals Analysis included whether identified themes are referred to in relation to objectives and goals, and, if so, the depth and level of detail with which they were described at different levels of documentation For the PYP and MYP matrices, horizontal codes covered the general documents (principles and guidelines) through to more targeted documents (unit planners) Because continuum documents do not provide the same level of specificity, the two headers Subject Group
Overview/Units of Inquiry and Planning for Learning were combined
Curriculum: literacy objectives and goals for PYP and MYP (coding matrix 1)
At subject level Approaches to learning (trans skills) concepts
Subject group overview/units of inquiry
Planning for learning (planners) themes
Figure 8 Literacy objectives and goals for PYP and MYP
Curriculum: literacy objectives and goals across the continuum (coding matrix 1)
At subject level, transdisciplinary themes
Figure 9 Literacy objectives and goals across the continuum provided by the IB were also examined to determine the ways and extent to which the
IB programs, particularly the PYP and MYP, ground their approaches to teaching and assessment in a solid research base Across the PYP, MYP, and the continuum, the consistent horizontal axis highlights the principles and practices that underpin the IB’s language-learning framework, encompassing both broad language teaching and explicit literacy methods and strategies Coding Matrix 2 likewise examines how literacy development is addressed within each programme and across the continuum, including attention to key transitions—from early to primary years and from primary to middle years—and analyzes how the PYP and MYP assess literacy, indicating to what extent assessment is explicit or integrated into other measures.
Pedagogy and assessment: approaches to teaching and assessing literacy (coding matrix 2)
Pedagogical approach to language learning
Evidence of explicit literacy teaching methods
Attention to literacy development - transitions
Assessment of literacy: assessment criteria
Figure 10 Pedagogy and assessment: approaches to teaching and assessing literacy
The commentary linked to the matrix findings identifies the strengths, gaps, and opportunities within curriculum, teaching and learning approaches, and core themes By integrating findings from the analysis of continuum documents into the PYP and MYP commentaries, the report demonstrates how IB policies and principles are enacted at the programme level When combined with the Literature Review, this analysis underpins the recommendations presented in the report’s final section.
4.2.3 Documents consulted for the analysis The IB provided three sets of documents for analysis against the identified literacy themes The following documents were consulted:
4.2.3.1 IB continuum documents and codes
Language and Learning in IB Programmes (C1)
Learning in a Language Other than Mother Tongue in IB Programmes (C2)
Guidelines for Schools on Language Policy (C3)
Developing Academic Literacy in IB Programmes (C4)
The Role of Technology in IB Programmes (C5)
Making the PYP Happen (PYP1)
Introduction to PYP Scope and Sequence (PYP2)
Language Scope and Sequence (PYP3)
Developing a Transdisciplinary Programme of Inquiry (PYP4)
A Model of Transdisciplinary Learning (PYP5)
Language Scope and Sequence Case Studies (PYP6)
MYP: From Principles into Practice (MYP1)
Language and Literature Guide (MYP3)
MYP Subject Area Guides – Learning Objectives (MYP5)
TSM 1 MYP1 Language and Literature Overview – Example 1 (MYP7)
TSM MYP1 – Language and Literature Tiered Overview – Example 3 (MYP8)
TSM MYP1 or 2 – Unit Plan (2_e) (MYP9)
TSM MYP5 – Unit Plan (7_e) (MYP10)
4.3 Overview of commonalities in the document analysis
Recommendations
5.1.1 How language is learned Throughout the PYP and MYP documentations there is a tension between a description of learning as constructed from within – a constructivist approach – and a description of language as constructed with others – a social constructivist approach
There is a misalignment between pedagogy, planning, and assessment documents and how language is actually used in practice; these documents often describe opportunities for language use rather than detailing how language should be deployed for learning For students whose school instruction is not in their mother tongue, a purely constructivist approach is likely insufficient Not all learners bring the same knowledge and experiences to school, and when language serves as the vehicle for inquiry, those lacking access to that language are disadvantaged Consequently, these students typically require more explicit teaching and targeted scaffolding to acquire the school’s language.
5.1.2 Recommendation Constructivism and social constructivism are not mutually exclusive theoretical positions However, they do need further theoretical explication within the IB documentation to aid teachers in making the links between the inquiry learning that is foundational to the IB and the ways in which language learning can be scaffolded explicitly within that approach The PYP and MYP documentation could foreground these theoretical links and highlight the ways in which learning is achieved through the scaffolded interactions of teacher and student
5.2.1 Descriptions of language The language profiles of IB students are inherently complex, and existing descriptions of language development within the IB do not adequately describe these profiles in ways that are useful for teachers For example,
Language Scope and Sequence is best understood as a framework for describing mother-tongue general literacy development, but it does not capture the nuances needed to track the language of school instruction when that language is not the child’s mother tongue or when additional languages are taught within the school In addition, the current Language Scope and Sequence conflates literacy and language indicators into lists with no clear organizing strands, making it difficult to monitor progress or describe language development systematically Existing IB language continua, designed to apply across diverse language groups and learning situations, may offer limited usefulness for describing language development for those who most need it.
5.2.2 Recommendation A more fine-grained description of language learning is required to adequately track progress, particularly in the early phases of language learning A more detailed description of language learning would also aid teachers in complying with the IB recommendation in Language and Learning in IB Programmes that teachers record information in student language profiles, mapping their progress in order to support planning for future differentiation
Mother tongue learning and additional language learning are significantly different, so two distinct descriptors should be developed to track development in each domain A descriptor for the mother tongue would monitor progress in the learner’s first language, while a separate descriptor would track acquiring an additional language, including proficiency in contexts where the language of schooling is used These descriptors can function as benchmarks for both beginner and proficient users and can be expanded to cover listening, speaking, reading, writing, and communicative competence, as well as cultural and cognitive aspects of language use Further development could integrate these descriptors into assessment, curriculum design, and instructional planning to support targeted, language-rich teaching for both mother tongue and additional language learning.
• the addition of more detailed descriptions of language features within each phase; and
• the organisation of the scope and sequence into strands of language and literacy which would allow a closer mapping of student learning
Developing an additional language progression could offer a finer-grained description of students' progress and learning outcomes when the language of instruction is an additional language to their mother tongue This would give teachers stronger tools to monitor development across students' multiple languages In contrast, the MYP language acquisition subject appears better suited to describing the process of learning an additional language that is not the language of instruction.
See the Australian curriculum’s language learning progression as an example of what this could look like
5.3.1 Language development across the years Although the IB recognises that learning becomes more complex across the years, and in the shift from the PYP to the MYP, there is no detailed description of the precise ways language demands increase in complexity Currently, for example, there is no developmental description of how language grows in complexity over the course of the MYP Yet the language skills of a 12-year-old are markedly different from those of a 16-year-old, so there is an inevitable difference in the ways one would expect them to use language across the BICS–CALP continuum, in both the PYP and MYP, planning and assessment becomes difficult Whilst there is nothing to preclude a teacher from explicitly planning for language outcomes, there are not many places they can go to find what these language outcomes might be, and how they develop over the years of schooling This lack of detail of the increasing language complexity makes it difficult for teachers to both plan for and track a student’s progress in a particular skill area
Challenges occur in both the PYP and the MYP, and they also arise for students transitioning between programmes The literature indicates that the move from primary to secondary education is a particularly high-risk point for students who are already underachieving, so ensuring cohesion in curriculum descriptions is essential By maximizing coherence across the PYP and MYP, curriculum descriptions can support a smoother transition and help maintain or improve student achievement during this critical shift.
5.3.2 Recommendation More detailed description of language and literacy descriptors within the Language Scope and Sequence, as recommended above, would help address this issue Particular attention could be paid to the ways in which language becomes more complex as schooling progresses Work could be done to identify gaps in the existing descriptors and to map skills across the phases to better describe the development of those skills, and the shift from BICS to CALP
To strengthen continuity across programmes, the International Baccalaureate (IB) should broaden the language and literacy continuum so that it spans both the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) This expansion would create smoother transitions between the two programmes and enable teachers in each cohort to monitor students’ progress in language knowledge and literacy skills more effectively.
5.4.1 Basic literacy skills The PYP does an effective job of describing basic literacy skills, however the MYP assumes basic literacy skills are already in place This will not always be the case, particularly for students who are not yet proficient in the language of instruction
5.4.2 Recommendation The cross-programme Language Scope and Sequence recommended above would address this issue, as would a further elaboration of the CALP framework in an attachment to Developing Academic Literacy in IB
Programmes should clearly articulate the basic literacy skills embedded within ATLs, creating an easily identifiable pathway for developing these skills This pathway should also clarify how the literacy competencies connect to and support inquiry processes.