Why the Library Matters in the IB PYP

I love books. I truly believe that books open minds, help us travel the world without leaving the room, and inspire children to see things from a different perspective.

Whenever I can, I start a lesson with a picture book or a story. Sometimes it introduces a new concept, sometimes it sparks a discussion, and sometimes it simply helps my students make connections they hadn't thought about before. I've often found that one well-chosen book can launch an inquiry better than a worksheet ever could.

That's one of the reasons why the library plays such an important role in the IB Primary Years Programme. In an IB school, the library isn't just a place to borrow books—it's an essential part of learning. Librarians work closely with teachers to select books that support the current Unit of Inquiry, encourage students to ask questions, explore different perspectives and deepen their understanding of the central idea.

Even if your school doesn't have a dedicated library, a thoughtfully curated classroom library can become the heart of inquiry. The right books, available at the right time, invite children to wonder, investigate and make meaningful connections across subjects.

One of my favourite classroom activities was our weekly Book Club. Children introduced the book they had just finished—without giving away the ending!—and tried to convince their classmates to read it. If someone borrowed the book because of their recommendation, they earned points towards an end-of-year prize. It was always wonderful to see books being passed from one enthusiastic reader to another.

Books also created countless opportunities for reflection. It wasn't unusual for us to discuss a character's actions and relate them to the attributes of the IB Learner Profile. Was this character a Risk-taker? How did they show they were Caring? Were they Reflective? These conversations helped the children understand that the Learner Profile isn't just a poster on the wall—it's something we can recognise in ourselves and in the stories we read.

And inquiry doesn't stop with literacy. A non-fiction book about the water cycle can become the starting point for children to write The Adventures of a Water Droplet. A story about migration can lead to rich discussions about identity and belonging. The possibilities are endless when the right book finds its way into the hands of a curious learner.

Choosing books that are age-appropriate, engaging and connected to your Units of Inquiry takes time, and I know how challenging that can be. That's why I created a small virtual library called The Inquiry Book Club—a collection of book recommendations that I hope will inspire PYP teachers around the world and help them find the perfect title for their next inquiry.

If you're looking for new books to enrich your classroom library, I'd love you to take a look at The Inquiry Book Club. I hope you discover a few new favourites!

Simple English Classroom Phrases for Young Learners - Part 1

 Hello, everyone! 👋

Today we'll focus on teaching English to children in Year 1 and Year 2 which doesn’t require using complicated language. Simple, everyday phrases are a wonderful way to help young learners feel confident and start using English naturally in the classroom.

In this post, you’ll find some easy English phrases that you can start using right away, plus a fun little game to encourage your pupils to speak!

🏆 Let’s get them talking!

One of my favourite ways to encourage children to use English is to turn it into a team game!

At the beginning of the lesson, divide the class into two or more teams. Then introduce the English phrases of the day.

👉 With Year 1, I recommend introducing no more than two phrases at a time. Since children are not yet confident readers, introduce the phrases orally, using gestures, repetition and lots of modelling.

👉 With Year 2, you can introduce up to three phrases and write them on the board. Keep them there throughout the lesson so children can look at them whenever they need some help.

Now comes the fun part!

Every time a child uses one of the target phrases naturally, their team gets one point. ⭐ The important thing is that children are encouraged to use the phrases for a real reason, rather than simply repeating them after the teacher.

For example, if today's phrases are:

Can I have a pencil, please?
Can you help me, please?

When a child needs a pencil and remembers to ask in English:

🎉 One point for the team!

This creates a fun reason to speak English and, before long, children start listening carefully for opportunities to use the phrases.

But which phrases are useful and easy to learn at the same time?

👋 1. Greetings

Starting every lesson with simple greetings can quickly become a fun and reassuring routine.

A great way to introduce this language, especially with younger children, is through a song! 

Here are 3 different ones you can choose from according to your class' mood of the day ;)

🎵 Hello! | Kids Greeting Song and Feelings Song – Super Simple Songs

Watch the song on YouTube

🎵 The Greeting Song – Maple Leaf Learning

Watch the song on YouTube

🎵 Hello Song for Kids | Greeting Song for Kids – The Singing Walrus

Watch the song on YouTube

Use them at the beginning of the lesson, sing them together (modelling) and encourage children to join in with gestures and actions. After the song, you can start using some of the same expressions in your classroom:

• Hello!
• Good morning!
• Hi, everyone!
• How are you today?
• Are you ready?
• Let’s start!
• Goodbye!
• See you next time!

👉Listen how to pronounce them here 

For Year 1, I would focus on just one or two expressions at a time and let children learn them through listening, repetition and movement.

For Year 2, you can choose two or three expressions and write them on the board so children can use them independently during the lesson.

✨ Tip: Make the song part of your regular classroom routine. After a few lessons, you may find that children automatically know that when the song starts, it’s time to switch to English!

And remember: the more fun it is, the more they will want to join in! 🎶

🙋 2. Simple Requests

Young learners can also learn a few useful phrases to ask for something, ask for help or communicate their needs in English.

Here are some great ones to start with:

• Can I go to the toilet, please?
• Can I have a pencil, please?
• Can you help me, please?
• Can you say it again, please?
• I don’t understand.
• Can I have a turn, please?
• I’m finished!

👉Listen how to pronounce them here

Don’t introduce all of them at once., but choose two or three phrases, depending on the age of your pupils, and use them regularly. The more children hear and use these expressions, the more naturally they will become part of their classroom English.

🌟 Keep it simple!

With young learners, repetition is your best friend. Choose a couple of phrases, practise them through real classroom situations and give your pupils a reason to use them. And remember:

Little phrases, big progress! 🌈

Happy teaching, and… let’s get them talking! 💛

From Mind Maps to Ecological Fairy Tales: A Cooperative Learning Project for #SharingThePlanet

Hi all! 👋

I've just found some pictures about a collaborative project I had the pleasure of planning and... I couldn't resist sharing them with you! ✨

That day our classroom was buzzing with collaboration! 🌍💚

Working in teams, my students created mind maps to explore the environmental issues and sources of pollution affecting the ecosystems they had been assigned: the sea, the meadow, the woods and the desert. Through discussion, questioning, and sharing ideas, they realized that every ecosystem faces many challenges—and that every voice matters.

This learning experience goes far beyond Science. It is deeply transdisciplinary, as students draw on everything they have learned during our #UnitOfInquiry – Sharing the Planet, entirely in English. Along the way, they are also developing their #GreenComp competencies, strengthening their communication and teamwork skills, and becoming more confident, independent learners.

Of course, meaningful writing doesn't happen by chance. Before beginning this project, we explored the key elements of a fairy tale and had lots of fun creating stories together by playing a game inspired by Story Box: Create Your Own Fairy Tales. These playful experiences gave students the confidence and narrative tools they needed to become creative storytellers.

And now comes the exciting part! ✨

These mind maps will become the foundation for each group's own #EcologicalFairytale, where the environmental challenge at the heart of the story will come directly from the ideas they explored together. Through storytelling, imagination, and empathy, children learn that even the biggest challenges can inspire action and positive change.

💡 A final teaching tip: If time allows, don't stop at the writing stage! Invite your students to bring their ecological fairy tales to life by performing them as a Chinese shadow puppet theatre. It's a magical way to integrate drama, art, speaking and listening skills, while giving every child the chance to become part of the story.

Because when children collaborate, think critically, create, and perform with purpose, they don't just learn about the world—they begin to imagine how they can change it. 💚🌎

#SharingThePlanet #IBPYP #PYP #InquiryBasedLearning #CooperativeLearning #TransdisciplinaryLearning #GreenComp #EducationForSustainability #EnglishInThePrimaryClassroom #Storytelling #EcologicalFairytale #ShadowTheatre #PrimaryTeachers #FutureChangemakers

English from the First Hello: Creating a Safe and Playful Classroom

 

in this picture a fun activity to review Qs&As

Hi there! How is your summer going?

Is your mind already busy thinking about next year English classes? 

As I anticipated in my previous post, here in Italy the new guidelines for primary and middle school state that "a teacher should enter the classroom speaking English" creating an immersive environment from the very beginning, where students are encouraged to express themselves using the language.

For many children, however, speaking a foreign language can initially cause shyness, hesitation, or fear of making mistakes. Also, we must remember the well known 'silent period' which is that natural phase that occurs during the language acquisition process: children need time to listen, observe and process the new sounds and structures before they build confidence and feel ready to speak (Krashen, 1982). Of course, this doesn't mean that children are not learning; during this phase, in fact, they are actively building their understanding of the language and it's important not to force them to translate or produce language before they are ready as I wrote about in my book 'I bambini alle prese con l'inglese' .

But how can we make our pupils feel comfortable and at the same time make sure they are learning? 

With games, of course!

Play, as we all know, is not merely a recreational activity: it is a fundamental and powerful teaching tool. Through games, songs, movement, routines and cooperative learning, children gradually feel more relaxed and confident. When they are not afraid of making mistakes or being judged, they are much more willing to listen, participate and use English naturally. In other words, these activities help lower the affective filter (Krashen, 1982), creating the emotional conditions that support language acquisition.

Keep in mind:

🎲 Games → allow children to participate using nonverbal responses or simple words, while respecting each child’s individual pace. Take a peek here

📚 Storytelling → Provides a rich linguistic input without the pressure of having to speak right away. Check this books out!

🎵 Songs and chants → Help children become familiar with sounds and structures through repetition. Check my lesson plans around the blog, they always come with a song related to the topic

🤝 Cooperative Learning → Creates opportunities for gradual and safe interaction. Get Some ideas right here!

It's important to remember that for the first month, at least, the goal is not to speak perfectly from day one, but to create a relaxed environment where every attempt at communication is welcomed and valued.

This is where true language immersion can begin!

✨ What Makes the Perfect Lesson? (Spoiler: It’s Not Just About English!)

image created with AI

 Hi there! 

Are you already planning for the next school year? If your answer is yes, I might have something for you right here ;) 

Have you ever asked yourself if there is such a thing as the perfect lesson? 🤔

I think the answer is... a recipe for creating lessons where children feel involved, motivated and excited to learn.

And the best part? This isn't just for English lessons... it's a structure that can work across any subject.

One of the first things I have always taken into account while planning is my students' attention spans. Every age group is different, and that's something we absolutely need to respect, but respecting children's attention span doesn't mean staying within their limits forever: one of our goals is definitely to gently stretch them. How? By keeping our pupils engaged with a variety of meaningful activities that naturally flow from one to the next.

After sharing many different lesson plans over the past few years, for this post I stopped to analyze what a typical lesson at Miss Lucy's Teaching Fun looks like, so that you can use it as a framework to fill up with your own materials and strategies:

🎵 1. Connect
We begin with songs, routines and a quick review. Children activate prior knowledge, build confidence and get into "learning mode."

📚 2. Explore
A picture book, flashcards, a game or a real object introduces the new topic. But the real magic happens through questions. I encourage children to make predictions, recall previous learning and actively participate instead of simply listening silently.

✂️ 3. Create
Arts and crafts, colouring and cutting, modelling with plasticine or other hands-on activities allow children to process what they've learned in a meaningful way. Learning becomes something they do, not just something they hear.

🌟 4. Reflect
Before the lesson ends, we revisit the learning of the day with a few simple questions and celebrate everyone's effort with a little reward (a sticker, a stamp, a candy). It's a small moment that helps consolidate learning and leaves children feeling successful. 

As you can see, every stage of the lesson is planned with a clear purpose. Learning needs structure, and my planning is strongly inspired by Bloom's Taxonomy. Of course, there's always room for flexibility, but the structure is what makes meaningful learning possible.

We start by remembering previous learning, then move on to understanding new concepts through stories and discussion. Children apply what they've learned during practical activities, while the questions we ask encourage them to analyse, make connections and explain their thinking. Even the simplest craft can become an opportunity to create something personal using new language or new knowledge.

I believe a great lesson isn't about filling an hour with activities, but it's about designing a journey where every step has a purpose.

When children are engaged, thinking, moving, creating and reflecting, learning becomes deeper, more meaningful... and much more fun. 💛

Now I'd love to hear from you!

What are your essential ingredients for the perfect lesson?

Do you consciously plan around Bloom's Taxonomy, or do you have another framework that guides your teaching?

Let's share ideas in the comments! 👇✨

NEW COUNTRY... NEW ADVENTURES!

ChatGPT doesn't know where Macerata is (LOL)

Hello, everyone!

Wow!!!! it really has been a long time, hasn't it?

If you're still here after all these years, thank you! And if you've just discovered Miss Lucy's Teaching Fun, welcome aboard! Either way, I'm sooooo happy to be writing here again.

But... where have I been?

Well, life happened. Or, to be more precise... teaching happened!

For the past five years, I've been teaching in a couple of international schools. They were amazing experiences that helped me grow professionally, meet wonderful people, and challenge myself every single day. But let's be honest... international schools can be incredibly demanding. They require a huge amount of energy, creativity, flexibility... and time! By the end of the day, the last thing I could think about was sitting down to write a blog post.

Now, a new chapter has begun.

After spending four wonderful years on the beautiful Lake Como, I've moved on to a completely different adventure: teaching in an Italian state primary school.

And, as you can imagine, I've been observing... a lot.

New colleagues, new routines, new challenges, new opportunities... and plenty of ideas! I've filled pages with notes, reflections, little classroom victories, and, of course, a few funny stories along the way.

So yes... new blog posts are definitely coming!

This is actually a fascinating time to be teaching English in Italian primary schools. The new national guidelines are encouraging a much more communicative approach, giving greater importance to listening and speaking from the very first years of school. Music to my ears! 

We'll explore together how these changes can become meaningful classroom practice, with practical activities, games, storytelling, movement, songs... and all the fun that learning English should include.

And finally, there's one more piece of exciting news.

After years of writing every single post in multiple languages (yes... that took forever!), I'm officially retiring from my job as my own translator!

Artificial Intelligence has completely changed the game. Most of you can now translate blog posts instantly on your phones, tablets, or computers. That means I can spend less time translating and much more time doing what I enjoy the most: creating new ideas, sharing classroom experiences, and designing fun resources for teachers and children around the world.

So today we say a grateful goodbye to mihijohablainglés.com and open the door to this brand-new adventure.

I'm excited and, honestly, I can't wait to share everything that's coming next.

Thank you for being here.

Let's make English teaching fun... again!

Love,

Miss Lucy

Connecting the Dots: From Transdisciplinary Themes to Meaningful Inquiry

One of the things I love most about the PYP is how a single Central Idea can open the door to endless learning possibilities.

In my previous posts, I talked about transdisciplinary learning, the role of the Transdisciplinary Themes, and why they are at the heart of the IB Primary Years Programme. Today, I'd like to take you behind the scenes and share a real Unit of Inquiry (UOI) I designed during my Master's course in Methodology of International Education.

For this unit, I chose the transdisciplinary theme:

🌍 How We Organize Ourselves – an inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and their impact on the environment.

The target age group was Grade 6.

The next step? Creating a meaningful Central Idea.

The Central Idea is much more than a statement. It's the heart of the inquiry. It provides a conceptual framework that guides teaching while giving students the opportunity to build on their prior knowledge, personal experiences, and cultural perspectives. This is where authentic student agency begins.

The Central Idea I developed was:

"Living things have adapted to their unique environments, while also shaping and modifying those environments to meet their survival needs."

From there, the inquiry naturally unfolded into three Lines of Inquiry:

🏡 Form: How people live – exploring human habitats around the world.

🌱 Causation: How the environment influences human choices about where and how they live.

🌎 Responsibility: The impact of human living solutions on the environment.

What I find fascinating is how flexible this framework is.

Although I chose to focus on human habitats, the very same Central Idea could easily lead students to investigate ecosystems, animal adaptations, evolution, sustainability, or even technological innovation. The possibilities are endless.

This is the beauty of inquiry-based learning: the curriculum isn't reduced to isolated subjects. Instead, it becomes a connected journey where concepts, skills, and student curiosity drive learning together.

Every Unit of Inquiry evolves as students ask questions, make connections, and contribute their own ideas. That's what makes each inquiry unique—and that's what makes teaching in the PYP so rewarding.

✨ Have you ever designed or experienced a Unit of Inquiry that took an unexpected direction because of students' questions? I'd love to hear your stories in the comments!