The International School Nido de Aguilas

Inquiry-Based Learning

The world is vast and there is much to learn….so how can we best help children make sense of it all? The better we structure the learning environment, the higher the level at which children learn. For this process to be most effective, children must play an active role in their learning so they begin to create their own structures and become increasingly less dependent on adults. After all, the end goal of the educational process is the creation of self-directed learners.

Our inquiry-based approach in the Early Years School creates self-directed learners. Inquiries create a sense of fun and excitement, activating full engagement of mind and body and allowing learning goals to be artfully integrated into meaningful activities.

Inquiries last approximately four weeks and follow the Nido inquiry process:

  • We wonder
  • We investigate 
  • We make sense 
  • We communicate
  • We take action 
  • We reflect

Each inquiry represents a cycle of learning around the key concepts; Community, Identity, Expression, Environment and Change. Our Nido EYS inquiries also connect across the two-year EYS program of PK and K1. This allows students to revisit concepts with increased sophistication and understanding. This creates the long-term cycle of learning that is necessary for broader and deeper understanding.

Across the two year program, students experience the kind of recursive learning that creates multiple, strong connections in the brain. Most importantly, students have fun as they actively engage in learning that stimulates their curiosity and sense of adventure!