Our Curriculum

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Pre-K

We create a fun environment in which we introduce the Mandarin language to pre-K level children through songs and play. The class is taught in a mixture of English and Chinese. There is no textbook used for Pre-K — all materials are provided by the teacher in class.

Goals
  • Learn and recognize basic Chinese phrases
  • Start becoming familiar with Chinese culture in an active and engaging manner
  • (For rising K students) listen, speak, read and write up to first 11 Zhuyin phonetic symbols
Enrollment Eligibility

Students must be toilet trained.

K
Level K

In Level K, we teach the Zhuyin phonetic alphabet (bopomofo).

Goals
  • Listen, speak, read and write all 37 individual Zhuyin phonetic symbols
  • Listen and speak basic Chinese phrases
  • Recognize the presence of 4 tones
  • Understand and respond to basic greetings (hello, good morning, thank you, etc.) and responses (yes/no, want/don't want, etc.)
Benefits of the Phonetic Alphabet
  • Helps with pronunciation as the phonetics align best with the tones of Mandarin
  • Introduces foundational Chinese character shapes and stroke order, easing future learning of Chinese characters
  • Avoids confusion between English and Mandarin pronunciation, unlike pinyin which uses the English alphabet
Enrollment Eligibility

Students must be able to sit in a classroom setting. Generally, kids in Kindergarten or above in their regular American schools are best suited for this class.

1
Level 1

We continue solidifying the phonetic alphabet and begin understanding how different combinations of phonetics form words — in line with how English is taught in American public schools (alphabet, then words).

Goals
  • Speak, read and write combined forms of the 37 individual Zhuyin phonetics (up to 3 at a time)
  • Recognize and write some basic traditional characters
  • Listen and speak basic Chinese phrases
Enrollment Eligibility
  • Successful completion of Level K, OR
  • Pass assessment that shows proficiency with the phonetic (zhuyin) alphabet
2
Level 2

We begin teaching traditional Chinese characters, vocabulary, and basic sentence structures.

Goals
  • Understand, speak, read, and write simple Chinese sentences in phonetic format
  • Recognize 8 basic stroke orders and combine them to write basic Chinese characters
  • Master writing their own Chinese names in proper stroke order and form
  • Understand basic sentence patterns and formulate very simple sentences accordingly
Why Traditional Chinese Characters?

We teach traditional characters because they are harder to learn, and it is much easier to learn simplified characters after already learning traditional ones. Depending on class size, we may split this grade into Heritage (children with at least 1 native speaker at home) and CSL (Chinese as a Second Language), tailoring each class to the appropriate level.

Enrollment Eligibility
  • Successful completion of Level 1, OR
  • Pass assessment that shows proficiency with the phonetic (zhuyin) alphabet
3+
Level 3 & Beyond

From this grade onwards, we tailor the curriculum to the students, who move as a unit from grade to grade. Textbooks are fully written in zhuyin, pinyin, simplified, and traditional characters — supporting students and families across all formats.

Goals

Students incrementally learn common sentence structures and practical vocabulary, eventually transitioning from zhuyin/pinyin to Chinese characters as their base. Some classes may learn Hanyu pinyin if more effective for the group.

Chinese Calligraphy — Levels 5 & 6

Chinese calligraphy is a required elective course for 5th and 6th grades (2 years). The art helps correct stroke order and refine character formation. Students, at teacher discretion, may start learning how to type Chinese in 8th grade or higher.

Enrollment Eligibility
  • Successful completion of prior level, OR
  • Pass assessment that demonstrates mastery of the previous level