International Program
The purpose of the International Track at LIH is to provide a rigorous academic program that allows families the freedom of choice.
Our age-appropriate curriculum takes the best parts of the curriculum of the French Ministry of Education and the State of Texas, incorporating the standards needed to provide the best possible education in Houston.
Early Childhood Education
 Daily activities establish the foundation for lifelong learning, a key component of the International Baccalaureate, and provide children the opportunity to safely explore the world around them in a supportive environment. At LIH, the early childhood curriculum incorporates the renowned academic program of the French government with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards.
Using Language in All of Its Dimensions:
Our young students learn in English, Spanish, and French. Language is an essential condition for the success of students. Learning priorities include the stimulation and structuring of oral language, the development of understanding of texts read by adults, and awareness of the sound and visual component of languages. As such, students will spend two days learning in English, two days learning in Spanish, and one day in French.
Acting, Expressing, and Understanding through Physical Activity and Art:
The practice of physical and artistic activities contributes to the motor, sensory, intellectual, relational, and emotional development of students.
Developing the First Tools to Structure Thoughts:
Students will gradually come to understand that numbers allow both quantities and a rank of positioning in a list to be expressed.
Exploring the World:
One of the goals of early childhood development is to gradually lead students to consider time and space as relatively independent dimensions of current activities, and to begin to treat them as such.
Grades 1-5
Elementary School
Elementary school includes grades 1 through 5. Students will spend three days learning in English with an additional day in Spanish and one day in French. At LIH the elementary school language program incorporates reading and writing with mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, STEAM, and physical education.
Grades 6-8
Middle School
All middle school academic classes are taught in English, and students will continue to learn in both Spanish and French as their additional languages. At LIH, the Middle School curriculum enables students to acquire a common base of knowledge, fundamental skills and culture, and is organized around five areas:
- Languages for thinking and communicating
- Methods and tools for learning
- Personal and civic development
- Natural and technical systems
- Representations of the world and human activity.
The middle school program will follow the curriculum guidelines of the French Ministry of Education as well as many of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills benchmarks. For example, the French educational system puts and equal emphasis on geometric and algebraic topics as compared to the TEKS which put more emphasis on algebraic topics and less on geometric topics.Â
Grades 9-12
High School
For those students who have chosen to follow the American track, the High School will consist of preparing for the International Baccalaureate in grades 9 and 10, the Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate in grades 11 and 12, college and career counseling, and preparation for the PSAT, SAT, and ACT. In addition to following the International Baccalaureate, students will complete the core Texas requirements of United States Government/Economics, Speech, Health, and World History.
An Introduction to the IB required course of study and the IB Hexagon
- English Language and Literature
- Second Languages
- Individuals and Societies (e.g., studies of history)
- Natural Sciences
- Mathematics
- Arts
- Theory of Knowledge course
- Extended Essay (independent research paper)
- Creativity, Activity, and Service work (extending student beyond school)
- Theory of Knowledge (ToK)
- Extended Essay
- Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)
- History of the Americas HL
- French ab initio SL
- French B HL
- Physics SL
- Biology SL
- Music SL
- English Language and Literature SL
- Mathematics AA HLÂ
- IB programs are recognized around the world and ensure an increased adaptability and mobility for IB students.
- The curriculum and pedagogy of IB programs focus on international perspectives of learning and teaching, while insisting that students fully explore their home culture and language.
- IB World Schools must undergo an exhaustive authorization process in order to offer one or more of the programs , which includes a study of the school’s resources and commitment to the IB mission and philosophy.
- IB teachers participate in a wide variety of professional development opportunities to constantly update their knowledge and share their expertise with colleagues around the world.
- Many students graduating from the Diploma Program find that it enhances their opportunities at tertiary institutions. The IB works closely with universities around the world to gain recognition for IB programs.
- The core components of IB programs encourage students to participate in creative and service-oriented activities, while at the same time emphasizing the importance of reflection on a personal and academic level.