芽芽華語
Ya-Ya Big Kids @home
for 6 - 10 years old
大芽芽夏天樂
Let the fun of learning Mandarin continues this summer at home
Morning Class
cap at 8
Class meets at 9:15am - 12:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Our content-rich Mandarin immersion summer curriculum has been transformed by our creative teaching team to a virtual format, with the same playful spirit of Mandarin Seeds! Packed with exciting topic discussions and projects, as well as featuring small group work times. The class will be taught in Mandarin immersive style and appropriate for students who can understand Mandarin classroom instructions. Please check FAQs for commonly asked questions. A typical lesson structure:
Meeting Circle Time Calendar/Weather/Season/Sharing
Topic Discussion Topic Vocabulary / Conversation Practice
Topic Project Time Art / Science / Culture
Small Groups Work Time (Student / Teacher ratio = 4 : 1)
- Character Study
- Vocabulary Game
- Sentence Building
- Worksheet Practice
Storybook Reading
Visiting Specialist 1-2 times per week
Review & Goodbye
Big Kids Club
cap at 4
Time Slots: 1PM to 2PM or 2:15PM to 3:15PM
A 60-minute class that meets 4 times from Monday to Thursday afternoons. A great way to strengthen Mandarin, explore the topic in further depth with a smaller group, as well as creating more interactive and bonding time with the teacher and with their friends! Activities may range from a variety of theme projects (arts /science / cooking etc), virtual field trips, games etc. It can be signed up as a standalone, or as an extra supplement to the morning class.
Big Kids @home
Small Class Size
Cap at 8 students per morning class.
*cap at 4 kids during small group work time.
Cap at 4 students per Big Kids Club.
Immersive and Playful Learning
Rich curriculum meets a playful pedagogy
Fun topics taught in Mandarin immersion style
The More the Merrier
Incentives offer for multiple classes/weeks. Check out registration page for more details.
Week 1 June 29 to July 3
Ya-Ya Toy Company
芽芽玩具公司
Are you curious about how toys are made and designed? Go behind the scenes and explore how the toys are made in the past and modern day! Let's design our own toys for Ya-Ya Toy Company.
Week 2 July 6 to July 10
I am a Designer
百變設計師
Do you know how many types of designers are there? Fashion designer, furniture designer, industrial designer who design cars, architects who design buildings and homes, and many more.
Week 3 July 13 to July 17
Let's Go Camping
我們一起去露營
Let's go camping! Learn to put up a tent, start a bonfire, and cooking in the open fields. Let's explore outdoor activites in nature - canoeing, swimming, fishing, hiking and observing the stars at night.
Week 4 July 20 to July 24
Jungle Explorer
叢林探險家
Let's explore the Amazon jungle rainforest and the insect species, fruits, plants, birds and animals living there! Who are the people living in the Amazon jungle? Let us find out all the amazing things about the Amazon.
Week 5 July 27 to July 31
Ya-Ya Supermarket
超市小老闆
Let us explore different types of supermarket in NYC and open our own little Ya-Ya Supermarket for business, and you as the Little Boss will decide everything from what to sell, how to display and market to customers!
Week 6 Aug 3 to Aug 7
Noodles Around the World
千奇百怪的麵
What is your favorite type of noodle? Chinese noodles, Italian pasta, Japanese soba, Thai rice noodles, just to name a few. Let us explore all kinds of different types of noodles around the world, how to make, cook and eat them!
Week 7 Aug 10 to Aug 14
Ya-Ya Musical
芽芽音樂劇
Do you have a favorite musical? Let us study some famous broadway musicals, and explore the process in producing our own Ya-Ya musical. We will also invite a music specialist to teach us how to sing a musical!
FAQ
1. When does registration start?
Priority registration starts at 9am on May 26th for current families, and open to the public on June 1.
2. Where is the tuition listed?
You will see Tuition after you click the REGISTRATION link, which is private only to CURRENT families. It will be open to public on June 1.
3. Does my child need to understand Mandarin?
Yes. Your child should understand basic classroom instructions in Mandarin to fully enjoy the benefits of our Mandarin immersion class. If you are uncertain, please submit a request here to set up an assessment.
4. Do you teach Traditional Chinese or Simplified Chinese?
Our curriculum materials are in Traditional Chinese. However, we can provide home support materials in Simplified Chinese if a family requests. During Work Time when we study Chinese characters and practice writing worksheets, the teacher can also include Simplified Chinese characters. While our curriculum includes Chinese character study with reading and writing practice, the main teaching goal is to learn Mandarin and build their conversational skills in an immersive and natural way through exploration of different subjects.
5. Is the whole morning class (9:15AM to 12PM) live session? Will my child get breaks?
Yes, the whole morning class is LIVE instruction. There will be small breaks in between the components and there is also small group work time when the group will be split to work with two teachers. Please click here to see the Big Kids Summer class description.
6. I am worried about too much screen time for my child.
As educators, we totally understand that virtual instruction cannot replace real in-person classroom instructions. However, if attending a physical program is not possible, we believe that our enriching virtual Mandarin program will not only provide the much needed continuity in Mandarin education, but also give the child the benefit of a familiar routine other than prolonged unstructured time .
7. What is the cancellation policy? Can I make up a missed class?
There will be no make-up class or cancellation for any reason.
8. Will adding extra Afternoon Big Kids Club to the morning class be too much for my child?
It depends on what type of learner your child is. Some children thrive when they are given more instruction time, while for others, the morning class may be enough. However, the Big Kids Club time is focused more on fun activities, which may include theme projects (arts / science / cooking), virtual field trips, or games etc. As the club is smaller (cap at 4 kids), we think many children can benefit and enjoy the extra interactive bonding time with a smaller group of peers, especially if one signs up for the same time slot with a friend. In general, we recommend parents to choose the type of schedule that works best for your child as well as for your family.
9. What age is appropriate for Big Kids Summer @home?
Your child needs to be at least 6 years of age by June 1st, 2020. A summary of program options by age group:
Age 3y to 5y please sign up for Ya-Ya Summer @home
Age 2y and under please sign up for BaoBao Singalong @home
Age 6y to 10y Big Kids Summer @home
Age 2y to 6y limited spots for our new Laoshi & Me 1-on-1 program
10. Do I need to prepare any materials for the class?
Around early June, we will publish the list of “class materials” needed for each summer week.
(a) You may choose to prepare the materials at home.
(b) You can pick up (contact-less) a pack of materials at our 23 Warren location on designated dates.
(c) Mandarin Seeds can mail the materials to you for an extra “materials admin fee”.
Cannot find the answers to your questions? Submit your question here.