As English becomes the main language medium in most households these days, Chinese school-going children are finding it difficult to be effectively bilingual in their mother tongue.
This worrying trend has led to a flurry of parents sending their kids to Mandarin enrichment centres from the time their kids turn four to help their children have a positive relationship with Mandarin.
We take a look at some popular Chinese enrichment classes for kids and well-known centres and break down what each one has to offer to your child.
1) EduGrove Mandarin Enrichment Centre
EduGrove Mandarin Enrichment Centre is a one-stop solution to improve your child's Chinese grades, creativity, critical thinking, and presentation skills! It sprang to life with a clear mission: make learning Mandarin a blast for kids and be crowned the top Chinese enrichment hub in Singapore.
Inspired by their founder's own battles with Chinese learning during school years, they came up with a curriculum that's anything but boring. Forget the old-school, monotonous Chinese classes that kill the vibe and snuff out interest. EduGrove aims to flip the script on how kids learn Mandarin, ditching dull memorisation for a world where learning feels like play.
They're all about boosting your kid's Chinese skills, both spoken and written, and not just for acing tests but to make sure they get to love the language and adopt it in real life. They also help non-Mandarin speakers overcome the typical challenges of learning to speak, read and write Chinese from scratch.
Their hit Playgroup program keeps the momentum going right up to the secondary level, including special holiday programmes. It's a place where Mandarin meets fun, through a variety of levels designed to get kids talking, reading, and writing in Chinese with a genuine smile on their faces.
How do they do it? A vibrant mix of circle time chats, active learning games, improvisational and role-playing dramatizations as well as written exercises. All of these give students a chance to immerse themselves in the Mandarin learning environment.
Each class is a new adventure, where kids get to throw around new words, act out in drama games, and even tackle challenges that get their brains buzzing. This dynamic approach makes sure what they learn sticks, turning Mandarin into a natural part of their daily lives. By the time they hit the books for written exercises, they're not just ready - they're eager.
Not only do they apply the effective learning through play method of teaching, but they immerse them in everyday scenarios where vocabulary learnt is applied and long-term retention is achieved. If you're worried about what it will cost you, you'll be thrilled that the Chinese tuition centre offers one of the most reasonable and budget-friendly rates in Singapore.
EduGrove Mandarin Enrichment Centre makes mastering Mandarin something kids look forward to, building confidence and skills that shine both in and out of the classroom. Interested to know about the available classes? Drop them an email at enquiries@edugrove.com.sg
2) Tien Hsia Language School
Established in 1989, Tien Hsia Language School has been the longest-running leader in providing Chinese Enrichment classes for children. Its centres are located in various parts of Singapore and cater to children from 3 to 16 years of age.
Tien Hsia Language School aims to build a strong foundation in the language for children since young. Nursery and Kindergarten students are encouraged to learn progressively in a systematic manner to prepare for Primary school.
Their classes are small so as to ensure that each child is given maximum attention throughout the class. This is especially important in Nursery when a love for the language can be cultivated.
Every lesson, the curriculum touches on the 4 main aspects of the language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Spelling is introduced in K1 and Hanyu Pinyin is taught throughout K2. Students also get to enjoy learning through games, songs and rhymes every week.
Tien Hsia Language School provides an all-rounded experience, including coverage on MOE syllabus. They update their programmes regularly to keep up with changes in the MOE syllabus, so that students are confident enough to face new practices or formats at school.
Parents are also invited to the end-of-term reviews, where they'll get to see their kids sing songs and recite what they’ve learnt in a mini display, which helps to build their confidence. This also lets parents have a better idea of their kids learning.
Tien Hsia Language School currently has 10 centres islandwide. For more information on the programme fees and how to contact them, click here.
3) HUA Language Centre
This school has been around since 1992 and has a total of five centres islandwide. It's course structure is complementary with the MOE syllabus meaning that your child should transition smoothly to the primary school syllabus (if you start them in the pre-primary programs).
It has a high success rate in PSLE with over 90% of students achieving A and A* for the past 15 years. The school offers classes for students as young as two (playgroup and nursery) to adult learners. For younger learners, the classes comprise of games, story-telling, sing-along and other oral and writing activities.
- Course fees per term: $406.60, Material fees per term: $21.40 [Total: $428]
- Duration: 2 hours per session, 10 sessions per term
The rates quoted above are for K1-K2 and primary school classes. (primary 1- primary 6)
4) Berries Language Centre
With 15 branches islandwide, Berries arguably has the strongest presence amongst parents looking to strengthen their children's Mandarin education.
One of the highlights of the Berries program is its multi-sensory approach to teaching Chinese enrichment classes for kids. The lessons are filled with opportunities that promote social interaction, hands-on projects, and creativity.
Unfortunately, its popularity means that waiting lists for enrollment are usually very long. This is especially so for their weekend classes.
- Estimated course fees per term: $385.20, Material fees per term: $5.85 [Total: $391.05]
- Duration: 105 mins per session, 12 sessions per term
Did the information about Chinese enrichment classes for kids help you? Will you send your children to any of these Chinese enrichment classes for kids? Leave a comment, we'd love to hear from you!
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