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IB ATL Skills - Approaches to Learning Framework

Understanding Approaches to Learning across PYP, MYP, and DP International Baccalaureate Programmes

Secondary school students examining specimens with microscopes, demonstrating research and inquiry skills in IB ATL framework

What are IB ATL Skills?

Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills are a central component of all International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes including PYP (Primary Years Programme), MYP (Middle Years Programme), and DP (Diploma Programme). They provide a solid foundation for learning independently and with others, helping IB students prepare for success in university and in life beyond the classroom.

IB ATL skills are intentionally designed to help students become self-regulated learners who know how to ask good questions, set effective goals, pursue their aspirations, and develop the resilience and determination to achieve them. These skills empower students to learn how to learn across all IB programmes.

Primary school student engaged in creative painting activity, developing self-management and thinking skills through artistic expression

The Five IB ATL Skill Categories

ATL Communication Skills

IB Communication ATL skills help students exchange thoughts, messages and information effectively through interaction. Includes reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, presenting, and using language appropriately across PYP, MYP, and DP.

ATL Social Skills

IB Social ATL skills enable students to work effectively with others, including collaboration, leadership, resolving conflicts, and making responsible decisions. Essential for building positive relationships in IB learning communities.

ATL Self-Management Skills

IB Self-Management ATL skills help students manage their state of mind, including organization, time management, goal setting, maintaining focus, and developing resilience. Critical for IB student well-being and academic success.

ATL Research Skills

IB Research ATL skills teach students to find, interpret, evaluate and use information effectively. Includes media literacy, information literacy, ethical use of sources, and critical evaluation - essential for IB Extended Essays and research projects.

ATL Thinking Skills

IB Thinking ATL skills develop critical and creative thinking to analyze complex problems across all IB programmes. Includes creative thinking, transfer of learning, reflection, and metacognition—thinking about thinking in PYP, MYP, and DP.

Students collaborating on media production project, developing communication and research ATL skills through video creation

How Students & Teachers Benefit

For Students

  • Track Your Growth: See your ATL skill progression over time with visual dashboards and progress charts
  • Build Your Portfolio: Collect and showcase evidence of learning across all five ATL categories
  • Reflect on Learning: Document your journey with meaningful reflections that deepen understanding
  • Set Goals: Create targeted ATL skill goals and track your progress toward achieving them
  • Receive Feedback: Get specific, timely feedback from teachers on your skill development

For Teachers

  • Efficient Assessment: Review and assess student evidence quickly with streamlined workflows
  • Monitor Progress: Track individual and cohort ATL skill development with real-time analytics
  • Generate Reports: Create comprehensive ATL reports for students, parents, and coordinators
  • Identify Trends: Use data insights to inform teaching strategies and identify students needing support
  • Save Time: Automate reporting and reduce administrative burden while improving feedback quality
Students conducting field research in nature, documenting wildlife observations and developing research, communication, and thinking ATL skills through outdoor inquiry

Why ATL Skills Matter

Universal Application: ATL skills transcend subject boundaries and are applicable across all areas of study and in real-world contexts.

Lifelong Learning: These skills equip students with the capacity to continue learning throughout their lives, adapting to new challenges and opportunities.

Student Agency: ATL skills empower students to take ownership of their learning journey, developing the autonomy to set goals and achieve them.

21st Century Skills: In an increasingly complex world, ATL skills prepare students to navigate uncertainty, think critically, collaborate effectively, and innovate creatively.

Your ATL Portfolio: A Powerful Tool for Your Future

Your ATL portfolio and reports are much more than just academic records—they are comprehensive evidence of your transferable skills and personal growth that can open doors throughout your life.

University Applications

Stand out in competitive university admissions by demonstrating your research, critical thinking, and self-management skills. Your ATL evidence shows admissions officers exactly how you've developed as a learner and problem-solver.

Job Applications & Interviews

Provide concrete examples of your communication, collaboration, and leadership abilities. Employers value evidence of soft skills—your ATL portfolio offers documented proof of your capabilities with real examples and teacher assessments.

Apprenticeships & Vocational Training

Demonstrate work-ready skills like time management, adaptability, and problem-solving. Your portfolio shows practical application of learning skills that translate directly to workplace success.

Changing Schools or Grade Levels

Provide new teachers and schools with a complete picture of your learning journey. Your ATL reports ensure continuity in your education, helping educators understand your strengths and support your continued growth.

💡 Pro Tip:

Regularly update your ATL portfolio and download reports at key milestones (end of each term, grade transitions). These documents become increasingly valuable as you progress through your academic journey and into your career.

Coach engaging with diverse students in youth soccer training, building social skills, teamwork, and collaborative leadership through sports

The IB Philosophy

The International Baccalaureate believes that ATL skills are essential for students to become inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective—the ten attributes of the IB learner profile.

By explicitly teaching, practicing, and reflecting on these skills, schools help students develop a metacognitive awareness that enables them to understand how they learn best and take control of their own learning trajectory.

About This IB ATL Portfolio Platform

This ATL Portfolio platform is designed to help IB students, teachers, and schools document, reflect on, and showcase the development of Approaches to Learning skills throughout the PYP, MYP, and DP journey.

By providing tools for ATL evidence collection, skill assessment, goal setting, and progress tracking, we aim to make IB ATL skill development more visible, intentional, and meaningful for all stakeholders in the International Baccalaureate community.

The ATL Continuum Builder

One of the most powerful features of ATL Portfolio is the Continuum Builder — a dedicated tool for coordinators and administrators to build, customise, and maintain a school's full ATL progression framework across all grade levels.

ATL Continuum Builder showing the full framework grid with strands and grade levels
ATL Continuum viewer showing I Can statements expanded across grade levels
ATL descriptor detail panel showing I Can statements, student behaviours, and teacher strategies
330 starter descriptors pre-built across all five ATL categories, from Pre-K to G12, ready to use on day one
Fully customisable — edit any descriptor, add "I can" statements, student behaviours, teacher strategies, and evidence indicators
Import your existing ATL map — upload a PDF or document and the platform intelligently extracts your school's descriptors
Live & draft status — control which descriptors are visible to students and teachers, with archive support for old versions
Grade-level progression view — see your entire continuum in a visual grid, organised by strand, subskill group, and grade
Aligned to IB frameworks — structured around the five ATL categories across PYP, MYP, and DP programmes
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Built by an IB teacher, for IB schools

Daniel Bush · IB Design Teacher · Europe

ATL Portfolio was built by Daniel Bush, an IB Design teacher in Europe with over a decade of experience in international education. After years of managing ATL skills through spreadsheets, shared documents, and disconnected systems, Daniel built the tool he wished had always existed — one that puts meaningful skill development at the centre, rather than paperwork. Every feature in ATL Portfolio has been shaped by real classroom experience across PYP, MYP, and DP.

Ready to Transform Your ATL Programme?

Join leading IB schools worldwide using ATL Portfolio to empower student learning and growth.

References: Information on this page is based on official International Baccalaureate (IB) documentation and guidelines for Approaches to Learning across all IB programmes (PYP, MYP, and DP).

For more information, visit www.ibo.org