Where IB and Literacy Meet
You’ve finally signed up for that salsa class—something you’ve always wanted to do since your trip to Spain. You’re ready to go: you have the enthusiasm, motivation, and willingness to learn. But when you show up to class, the teacher says, “Move to the music, and you’ll naturally learn how to Salsa.” You pause—wait, weren’t you here to learn the steps? To understand the rhythm? To practice smaller, specific movements so you could master the entire dance?
Now, think of this in relation to learning how to read. Reading is not a natural process for the human brain. It’s incredible to wrap your head around this fact. For many of us, we’ve heard phrases like, “Oh, give it time—your child will get it eventually!” But this is only true if students are taught the fundamentals of reading through direct instruction and coaching.
As Diane McGuinness, Ph.D., explains in Why Our Children Can’t Read and What We Can Do About It, “Reading is definitely not a biological property of the human brain” (McGuinness 117).
With this knowledge at the forefront, the IB is continuously ensuring that all teachers are fully prepared to embrace new effective instructional practices. In fact, part of the IB’s foundational principles is that “The school ensures that all teachers and pedagogical leadership teams have access to relevant communities that support the development of the programme(s).” This can be otherwise written as, the IB believes in the best learning and instruction for its students.
Imagine learning a new hobby, like salsa dancing. Sure, you could move to the music, watch masters perform, and try to follow along. But without explicit instruction on the correct steps and sequences, you’d struggle to truly learn. And without guidance or feedback, you’d never improve.
So the next time you are ready to embark on a new hobby, think of your child learning the steps to read. It takes time, patience, and a school like ISB to get you on the path to success!