Making Mandarin Fun: Different Learning Tools for Toddlers, Tweens and Teens

Little Mandarins has effective learning tools to make Mandarin fun for every age, from toddler to teen!

Whether you have a tiny tot with a five-word vocabulary, a preschooler getting ready for Chinese immersion or a 16-year-old teen who needs support in exams, how do you engage them so that learning Mandarin is fun and effective? 

At Little Mandarins, making Mandarin learning fun is key in order to spark kids’ attention and get them engaged. Making Mandarin relevant to your child is what will keep them engaged over a long period so that their understanding develops. So how does Little Mandarins do this? Little Mandarins has multiple classes for different age groups, each one focusing on different learning tools, games and activities. All teachers are native speakers with a teacher per group of eight kids so your child gets a lot of one-on-one attention to fully develop.

Mums & Tots (Age: 18 – 33 months)

If you are keen to get your little one into Mandarin, early is best! Mamas can accompany their toddlers for this Mums & Tots session where classes are built around fun themes like animals, or transportation. Through Chinese rhythm, nursery rhymes, and storytelling, kids are introduced to the tones and sounds of Mandarin without even realising it. It’s hard for little kids to sit still, but at Little Mandarins they’re not expected to! There’s ample space to jump and explore and take part in fun games too.

Playlessons (Age: 3 – 4 years)

Preschoolers are busy little people who are hungry for information, so it’s key to find a good balance between physical activities, arts & crafts and drama/role-play games that are rich with new Mandarin words and phrases. Special attention is given to familiarise children with the tonal sounds of Mandarin through music, nursery rhymes, and word games to keep kids active and engaged while introducing new vocabulary.

Foundation (Age: 4 – 12 years)

At Little Mandarins there is a real focus on listening and comprehension skills to develop a basic vocabulary of common words, speaking skills and elementary character recognition. This builds a strong foundation in Mandarin so that writing, sentence structure and hanyu pinyin can be introduced. Kids will practice daily conversation – your child will soon be able to order you dim sum or converse with the uncles at the hawker centre! Lessons are kept fun with themed games and tabletop activities.

Stepping Stones (Age: 10 – 15 years)

Tweens and teens who have a strong foundation are ready for a more intense focus on writing skills, hanyu pinyin, sentence construction and conversation. Little Mandarins’ unique in-house developed curriculum teaches Mandarin as a language and not just for exams, although at this level Little Mandarins does provide GCSE/IGCSE exam preparation work.

Young Mandarins (Age: 14 – 16 years)

Young Mandarins will now have a good understanding of Mandarin vocabulary and are proficient in reading, writing and hanyu pinyin. At this level there is a shift from learning to the application of the language. Teens will build their thinking skills and develop confidence in everyday conversation. Students who graduate from a Young Mandarins’ course are fully exam ready (HSK elementary).

Looking to enrol your kid in Mandarin classes? Get in touch with Little Mandarins and let the fun begin!

Little Mandarins, Block 71, Loewen Road #01-03, Singapore 248847, email: [email protected] or Tel: (+65) 6473 8377, www.little-mandarins.com