Bilingual Preschool
Also known as our Two-WorldsTM Chinese Language and Culture Program. The HeadsUp! Two-WorldsTM Approach features intensive instruction in Chinese language and culture. At the same time, the bilingual setting offers all the benefits of the regular preschool program: it provides an especially enriching environment in which children can grow to fulfill their full potential; it gives parents the same security of knowing their children are receiving the finest care and developmental guidance available; and it combines an innovative approach to early learning with traditional values and the joy of discovery.
36-72 months
Transition of Two Languages Throughout The Day
The significant difference between the two programs is that the bilingual program is taught in two languages, Chinese (Mandarin) and English. Chinese is spoken exclusively for the first three hours of the day, regardless of the curriculum subject (except English); during this time, all teachers working with students are fluent in Mandarin. In the afternoon, students will use English for English-language activities as well as other subjects (except Chinese); during this period, all teachers are fluent in English, including bilingual teachers fluent in both languages.
The Montessori Approach
All preschool programs include a modified Montessori curriculum incorporating art, music, and imaginative play into the traditional emphasis on practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics, science, and cultural activities. The bilingual preschool classroom employs the same Montessori approach that is found in the regular preschool classroom, except that two languages are used instead of one.
Learning A Second Language For All
The program is designed to appeal to a broad range of students whose families want them to be fully competent in a second language, regardless of their ethnicity or heritage. Because of its linguistic rigor and cultural emphases, it meets the needs of families with children of Chinese heritage, who are American born as well as those born in China, Taiwan, Singapore, and other countries, including students who were adopted by non- Asian American families. The program is not designed for children who are not fluent in English; they will instead be served in a regular preschool setting until their English is sufficiently developed to permit them to participate fully in a bilingual classroom.
The Bilingual Curriculum
The Chinese portion of the language curriculum focuses primarily on spoken language. When introduced, written language uses simplified characters and a phonetic system based on the Western alphabet. The cultural curriculum includes art, crafts, music, and dance, as well as modern cuisine, manners, and physical exercise.
During the English portion of the curriculum, students are exposed to a variety of subjects that are essential to Western humanism and rationalism--including history, science, literature, music, and art—as well as traditional American values such as individualism, entrepreneurship, and creativity.