Ya Ya Curriculum
Structured in topic studies...
Each school year, children study 6-8 topics, with each topic lasting about 6-8 weeks to allow for in-depth exploration of key concepts. These studies are based on our Ya Ya Big Books, developed by our education team in a bilingual format and available to parents as home support materials. Each topic consists of several units that guide lesson planning. A core part of the school day is dedicated to topic-related learning stations, which integrate language, life skills, music, art, science, math, movement, and more.
Examples of topic learning stations...
As an example, when we learned about the veterinarians in the topic “Ya Ya Community,” we set up an animal hospital with an x-ray machine, medical tools, and real x-ray films of different animals for children to act out how veterinarians do their job. During the “Beautiful Autumn” topic, children went to the park to pick up leaves and used them to make a number board. In another topic study of “Life on a Farm,” children grew real vegetables such as radish and scallion at school, and they kept a diary documenting the daily growth of these vegetables. Teachers also organized dramatic play stations where children could experience feeding the chickens, milking the cows, or shearing the sheep.
Pictures speak louder than words. Click through the slideshow below to see the topic studies in our classrooms!
Mandarin Immersion Approach
Let’s take a moment to think about how we acquired our first language. Did our caregivers or parents make us memorize flashcards, or did they just have conversations with us on topics that were meaningful to us? The answer is clearly the latter. And this is exactly the experience we want to replicate here at Ya Ya. Children develop their Mandarin proficiency through our 100% immersion program. However, what really qualifies us as a true Mandarin immersion program is the integration of Mandarin in everyday curriculum. In other words, Mandarin is not taught to children but rather, children learn all the content knowledge, verbal skills, and early literacy skills in Mandarin at our school. When children go through the door of a Ya Ya classroom, they are transported into a nurturing and playful space where the teachers speak Mandarin to them at all time. Topic discussions, daily routine, and instructions are delivered with vivid visual aids to support comprehension. Our original Ya Ya curriculum guides teachers to incorporate subject areas such as math, science, the arts, social studies, etc. so children can cultivate their Mandarin language skills in meaningful context.
Ya Ya Big Book
Each bilingual topic book is designed for young children, with multiple units tailored to different age groups and levels, along with a set of Ya Ya Cards. Each book guide the scope and sequence for lesson planning. Hands-on activities give children real-world context to these books.
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Audio Read-Aloud: Each book unit has an audio version available as parent resources at home.
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Paper Copies: All book units we study remain on the classroom bookshelves throughout the school year and are available for borrowing to take home.
Ya Ya Specials
At Ya Ya, children enjoy 3 to 4 special sessions weekly, chosen by our education team to enrich learning beyond the classroom. Some sessions are regular, while others rotate throughout the year, scheduled in both the morning and afternoon.
Regular specials include:
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Music & Movement (singing, rhythm, and musical development.)
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Early Literacy (Chinese or English)
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Cooking (baking apple pies or making tang-yuan, etc.)
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Art (canvas painting, blow art, etc.)
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STEM ( LEGO, robotics, experiments, etc.)
Regular specials may include:
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Yoga, or martial arts, or dance by guest specialists
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Exposure to musical instrument (erhu, violin, guzheng, etc) professional musicians.
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Showcase of professions (dentist, architect, artist, etc)
Field Trips
Field trips are perfect opportunities for children to connect with their community and extend their topic studies beyond the classroom walls. Our youngest learners visit neighborhood places such as grocery stores, and our older 3s and PreK students are able to take the subway to further explore the city.
Examples of past field trips:
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Farmer’s market
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Post Office
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Local grocery stores
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Engineering firm
Parent Involvement
Parent involvement is a big part of our school culture. From chaperoning field trips, sharing family culture and traditions, to organizing class specific events, parents in our school community have countless opportunities to get involved throughout the school year.
Click through the slideshow below to see examples of parent involvement.
