http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/ http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/images/stories/wtlc.png http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/ 258-48 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/258-presidio-knolls-school.html I'm a parent at Presidio Knolls and recently joined the board, so as you can image, I'm a fan of the place. I don't speak Chinese, and my wife speaks a little because she lived there for a couple of years as an adult, but she isn't fluent. However, my daughter speaks Chinese fluently (for a three year old!). When playing with her toys, she monologues to herself in Chinese as often as she does in English. She prefers to listen to and sing Chinese songs in the car and at home. PKS isn't just about learning Chinese though. Ellie loves the school. The teachers in Ellie's classroom are kind and loving. She is always excited to get to school, and it can be hard to pry her away at the end of the day. She has really developed emotionally since she has been at the school. She is a lot more outgoing than she used to be, and has been starting to develop some real empathy for other kids. I don't know if that is just because she is getting older, or if it's a function of the Reggio Emilia inspired approach of PKS, but it is certainly consistent with the school's emphasis on developing "the whole child". We wanted a program with both language immersion and a progressive "whole child" approach to education rather than the much more rigid, traditional education that we grew up with, with its singular focus on academics. PKS is the school that best fit our needs, and we're very happy that Ellie is here. We are equally excited about the PKS expansion into an elementary school that is starting in 2012. PKS will accept kids in Kindergarten, First and Second Grade in 2012, and grow one grade level per year until it has a full K-8 program. I'm very happy that Ellie will be able to stay with this the PKS program throughout her elementary and middle school. ]]> Sun, 13 Nov 2011 07:34:37 -0700 66-41 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/66-trust-montessori.html Tue, 23 Aug 2011 02:29:35 -0600 52-40 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/52-lingli-preschool.html Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:46:47 -0600 105-16 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/105-shu-ren-international-school.html We have two children who have attended Shu Ren's preK program. Our 5 year old son has attended since Dec. 2008, and our 4 year old daughter has attended since Sep. 2009. They love everything about school: teachers, staff and friends. There is such a wonderful mix of families and children of different backgrounds from each other, and lots of families formed through adoption. The school staff and teachers have been so warm and caring. Our children are speaking Mandarin and learning Chinese culture. We look forward to growing with the school. Anyone looking for a Mandarin Immersion education for their child should definitely look into Shu Ren International School. ]]> Mon, 02 May 2011 21:10:25 -0600 113-14 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/113-contra-costa-chinese-school.html Contra Costa Chinese School is celebrating its 35th year. I am so proud that my kids attend this school. When you consider how many volunteers it takes to run this school, it's truly remarkable. Such dedication. What I like best is that the school subsidizes some amazing extracurricular elective classes to round out the language education with culture. Kids can take conversation, brush painting, Chinese yo-yo, Martial arts, ping pong, and more. There are also enrichment opportunities for parents, annual carnivals and concerts, parades, contests and other celebrations. CCCS has succeeded in creating a cultural experience. The school is committed to excellence and pays attention to parent concerns, always striving to improve. One of the school's biggest strengths is its diversity in students (kids from Chinese-speaking homes all the way down to kids with no Chinese background at all) ... but this is also one of its largest challenges, for it is difficult to meet the needs of such a wide spectrum of skill levels on such a tight budget. The school offers both traditional and simplified. ]]> Wed, 23 Mar 2011 20:53:04 -0600 52-13 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/52-lingli-preschool.html Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:23:40 -0600 240-12 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/240-creative-learning-at-northwest-ymca-.html Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:37:20 -0600 59-11 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/59-international-school-of-the-peninsula.html I highly recommend this school - particularly if you are interested in an excellent Mandarin Immersion program and exposing your child to a global view of our ever-changing world. The teachers are extremely nurturing, and there has been much thought invested in developing a curriculum designed to promote critical thinking through age-appropriate exercises. The academics are excellent in addition to supporting strong social and leadership skills. My daughter (who started in Nursery and is now in 1st grade) and my son (who started in Nursery and is now in PK) have an impressive mastery of Mandarin despite the fact that we almost exclusively speak English at home. And most importantly, my children genuinely love learning and look forward to going to school. ]]> Tue, 15 Mar 2011 21:28:18 -0600 176-10 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/176-ccea-new-sprouts-school.html Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:44:47 -0700 178-9 http://www.wheretolearnchinese.com/component/content/article/34-schools/178-college-park-mandarin-immersion-talented-and-gifted-program.html Thu, 10 Mar 2011 18:08:35 -0700