Why start Chinese in preschool?

We believe the preschool years are the most important time in a child’s language and social development. We share your desire to provide the best possible start for your child. We are dedicated to helping children discover their love of learning while developing the values and social skills required to excel throughout life.

Our Early Childhood Education approach is "the Finnish way', learn through play, free discovery, collaboration, interaction, own initiative, concentration, and learning to take responsibility for one’s own actions. We emphasizes the so-called soft skills of balanced growth and taking others into account, over quantifiable metrics.

At Sleepy Tigers Chinese Immersion Learning Center we have an action plan in place, based on the national core curriculum on ECE. Furthermore, an individual early childhood education and care plan is drawn up for each child, in collaboration with the child’s parents, and it is reviewed at regular intervals. Strong emphasis is also placed on the informal sharing of the child’s daily activities with the parents. The relationship between parents and the carer or educator is an essential part of the child´s well-being. When children participate in meaningful and relevant activities, they experience feelings of success and the joy of learning. The right mix of care, tacit education and specific teaching promotes children's positive self-image, expressive and interactive skills, and develops their thinking.

The earlier a child is introduced to a second language, the greater the likelihood they will become truly proficient in it. It also helps children’s brain development. Children’s brains are naturally programmed to learn any language they are sufficiently exposed to perfectly and without accent. This ability declines with age, disappearing by high school.

“A child taught a second language after the age of 10 or so is unlikely ever to speak it like a native.” That the earlier a child is introduced to a second language, the greater the chances are that the child will become truly proficient in the language.

Students of foreign languages have access to a greater number of career possibilities and develop a deeper understanding of their own and other cultures. children who receive second language instruction are more creative and better at solving complex problems.

Standard Mandarin Chinese has become an increasingly popular subject of study in the western world in recent years. Chinese is the fastest-growing language studied in the United States.

Our focus is on preparing your child for the next century, giving him or her the tools necessary to thrive in their future school years. We believe having fun is the best way to introduce a child to learning. Children learn best when they are nurtured and comfortable so they will take the necessary risks to grow and develop, become critical thinkers and life-long learners.

Being bilingual gives your child more opportunities! By knowing a second language and culture, they can also relate better to other people. By planting these seeds today, our children are more likely to become the productive, well-rounded future citizens, we are hoping they will turn out to be. With your support, now is the best time for your children to learn Mandarin Chinese. Your commitment now will truly give them an advantage later on.