Upper Casa

Upper Casa students begin their day with morning snacks and Montessori work. They can choose their preferred activities or continue any unfinished tasks from previous days. The morning work period finishes around 10:15 a.m., followed by a group Montessori circle and outdoor activities. A nutritious hot lunch is served at noon. This age group does not have naptime. In the afternoon, students engage in weekly Mandarin projects, social, science, and art activities, as well as Chinese writing practice. Students take turns each day to assist in the school kitchen or help teachers in their classroom. They also enjoy healthy afternoon snacks and outdoor playtime before the end of the school day.

Children at this age are eager to explore reading and writing and continue to expand their vocabulary through daily conversations with teachers. They are expected to use prepositions to describe positions, create short phrases with adjectives or adverbs, conduct show-and-tell or short presentations independently, and begin to produce complex sentences using conjunction words like “and”, “or” and “but”. They can recognize simple characters and are familiar with Chinese strokes.

Similar to language and math, social skills can be educated. At JINGBAO™, we use positive reinforcement to encourage grace and courtesy in our program. By modeling proper behavior and encouraging students to follow suit, our teachers provide tools for children to independently solve problems. Teachers frequently employ effective strategies such as “renewal”, “choice”, and “redirecting” to support individual development. Our supervisors and teachers collaborate with parents to develop an action plan when necessary.

In Montessori, the English language sequence progresses from introducing sounds to composing complete sentences, with a focus on reading, written language, and grammar. At JINGBAO™, English literacy begins in Lower Casa. When students graduate from Upper Casa, most can read long phonetic words and start producing short sentences in writing. We also introduce other school subjects in both Mandarin Chinese and English, including math, culture and science. We are confident that our Upper Casa graduates will smoothly transition to their future English schools.

Upon completing the Upper Casa program, students will be introduced to Pinyin, which is Chinese phonics. This introduction can occur through various options, such as summer camps, after-school programs, Saturday school, or private/small-group learning. We recommend starting the Pinyin instruction after students have established a solid foundation in English alphabets.