In 1st Grade, I Was Learning Vowels. My 6-Year-Old Is Programming Light Towers

“As my first grade child showed me their science project where they programmed a light tower from their iPad, all I could think about was how in first grade I was learning a, e, i, o, u.”

That was the reaction from one of the parents who attended the Student-Led Conferences at HIS today. 

It the first student-led conference this parent had ever attended and he told the HIS Comms Team that he was genuinely taken-aback.

“My child is learning things I wasn’t even aware of when I was in Grade 7,” he said, “and he was able to explain it all to me so clearly.” 

What a Student-Led Conference Actually Is

Once a year, our Elementary students from Early Childhood through Grade 4 sit down with their families and walk them through their learning. The students lead the conversations.

They explain to their parents what they found, what they are working on and how they learn. 

We witnessed another Grade one student showing his parents his hamburger writing template, which helps him take any information he has learned and compress it into a format he can share with others.

This Is a Snapshot of the IB Programme

The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme is built on one idea: children learn better when they take ownership of their learning; Asking questions, reflecting, and acting.

Student-Led Conferences are where that idea becomes something parents can see with their own eyes.

When a Grade 1 student turns on their iPad and explains how they coded a lego light tower, they are showing you what they are learning and who they are becoming; curious, confident, and clear about their thinking. 

That is what we are here to build.

Another parent commented “I cannot believe how confident my child is after a few months at this school. She is now teaching me how to speak up for myself.”

“I cannot believe how confident my child is after a few months at this school. She is now teaching me how to speak up for myself.”

Getting Ready To Share

Our Elementary students prepare for their conference over several weeks. They choose evidence of their learning across subjects, reflect on what it shows about them as a learner, then sit down with their family and lead the conversation.

Teachers are in the room. They are just not the ones talking.

The goal is not so much a polished performance, but an honest conversation. A child who can say “I found this hard and here is what I am trying” is developing something that will serve them far beyond any single subject or school year. 

Margaret Dean, Vice Principal of the Elementary School, explained the significance of the initiative. “These conferences are an important opportunity for learners to share their growth, reflections, goals, and learning experiences with their families."

"Through this process, students develop confidence, ownership of learning, communication skills, and the ability to reflect on their progress.”

If you are wondering what an IB education actually looks like in practice, come and see it. Our doors are open. Book a visit through our website.

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MAIN PICTURE: Students share their work during the student led conferences at HIS.