Understanding and Implementing Learner Agency in the PYP
Explore practical strategies to foster student agency and voice in the PYP classroom.
🌟 Workshop Overview
The essence of the PYP lies in nurturing young learners as confident, curious, and capable individuals. At its heart is learner agency—giving students the power to make choices, express voice, and take ownership of their learning. When agency becomes a natural part of classroom life, students begin to see learning not just as something they do—but something they lead.
1 Picture Prompts & "Describe the Moment" (Grades 1–2)
Strategy: Use powerful images as prompts for storytelling, reflection, or imaginative writing. Ask students to describe what's happening, what may have happened before, or what might happen next.
Example: Show a picture of a child feeding birds in the park. Invite learners to answer:
- Who is in the picture?
- How do the birds feel?
- What might the child say?
Agency in Action: Students use their imagination, choose how to respond (drawing, writing, speaking), and build empathy by placing themselves in someone else's shoes.
2 Show and Tell – with a Twist (Grade 2–3)
Strategy: Regular Show and Tell sessions where students not only present an item or experience, but also design how they want to share—through a mini-performance, drawing, song, or demonstration.
Example: A student brings a toy, tells a story about it, then role-plays a scene using that toy with a peer.
Agency in Action: Encourages student voice, decision-making, and expression of identity, while boosting confidence and communication skills.
3 Role Play with Meaningful Roles (Grade 3–4)
Strategy: During inquiry-based group tasks, assign or let students choose roles—e.g., "Timekeeper", "Resource Organizer", "Question Asker", "Summarizer", or "Encourager". Allow them to rotate weekly or reflect on which role suits them best.
Example: In a unit on ecosystems, students explore roles like "Animal Advocate", "Environment Protector", or "Pollution Reporter".
Agency in Action: Students take responsibility for their role, contribute actively, and develop collaboration and leadership skills in authentic ways.
4 Simple Actions, Big Reflections (Grades 4–5)
Strategy: Build agency through simple, real-world acts like feeding birds, watering plants, or helping someone. After the act, students reflect using:
- "Why did I choose to do this?"
- "How did it make me or others feel?"
- "What does this tell me about who I am?"
Example: A Grade 5 student chooses to care for class plants. Weekly, they document plant changes, journal about what they've learned, and present a growth story to the class.
Agency in Action: Promotes action and reflection, connecting everyday experiences to broader concepts like responsibility and sustainability.
5 Learning Invitations in EYP: "I Wonder…"
Strategy: Set up open-ended learning invitations based on observed interests—blocks, sand, water, natural materials—and encourage students to express their wonderings.
Example: After feeding the birds in the school garden, a child asks, "Where do the birds sleep?" Turn this into a week-long co-learning mini inquiry on bird habitats.
Agency in Action: Honours curiosity, nurtures decision-making, and allows learning to emerge from play, which is the most natural form of agency in early childhood.
🎯 Key Takeaway
Learner agency isn't about letting go of structure—it's about co-creating the learning journey with our students. When we offer them meaningful choices, invite their ideas, and empower them to act, we plant the seeds of lifelong ownership, inquiry, and growth.
Let's continue to build classrooms where student voices aren't just heard—but deeply valued.