I am thrilled to be able to bring Mandarin to The Garden School! Here is what we are doing in
each of the classes:
Kindergarten & 1st Grade:
While reviewing the colors, numbers and animals that we learned last year, we are also
beginning to learn new vocabulary for family members and fruits. The first verb we have learned
is “like”. Now, we can say we like our family members and in addition to what we have learned
before, we even can say which part of a face we like! We have also learned the new song: Find A
Friend. I also bring some short stories and games now and then, such as “hide and seek”.
Beside everything the kindergarten has learned, we have played some games like finding colors,
finding friends. On Thursday, we have learned how to do the origami fortune teller and use a
napkin to fold a hat. Please do ask them to set up a napkin next time when you have gusts come.
2nd grade:
Building on everything the 1st grade has learned, we did a very good job on the origami and
napkin folding. We also enjoyed the games with great spirits. The “train game”, “name game”
and “finding a friend game” are all our favorites. We have also learned how to write the Chinese
characters from one to ten. Now we are working hard on memorizing them!
Middle class:
Building on everything the 2nd grade has learned, we’ve learned to speak longer sentences with
verbs: are(is, was), have(has) and like. We enjoyed playing a math game in Mandarin. We
already memorized how to write Chinese characters from one to ten.( Of course, we will come
back for it.) We are learning the first set of twelve basic Chinese characters: water, fire, dirt, sun,
moon, field, mountain, inside, wood, people, big, sky.
Upper class:
This is my master class. Building on everything the middle class has learned, we have been
practicing how to say the sentences with the basic verbs: are, have, like . We have mastered one
ancient poem, the math game in Mandarin (of course, we will practice more later) as well as the
first set of basic Chinese characters. We used the twelve characters to draw a picture and present
it during class. We played cards game to memorize those characters. We are learning the second
set of vocabulary… Hooray! We also get homework for Chinese handwriting.
