Lower School: Grades 1--5

Core Values and Total Chinese Immersion

The Lower School curriculum develops strong academic and social-emotional skills reinforcing individual pride and a culturally diverse community. The values of respect, responsibility, honesty and community integrate with the acquisition of a high-quality bilingual immersion education. Students learn Mandarin just as they learn English--by living it. Classes in the Chinese room are taught entirely in Mandarin with students absorbing a Chinese-speaking environment.

Students develop age-appropriate academic and social skills that encourage lifelong learning. Community-building celebrations and activities for Chinese and Western holidays make our high-standard academic program colorful, respectful and international in scope.

Homeroom studies include:

• Chinese
• English
• Language Arts
• Math
• Social Studies
• Chinese Health and Wellness

Specialists teach:

• Science
• Computers
• Art
• Physical education
• Music and movement
• Research skills

Cooperation between homeroom teachers and specialists ensures that Lower School's monthly core value is delivered through subjects taught.

Lower School objectives

• Communicate in Mandarin Chinese in various settings
• Acquire critical thinking and problem solving skills through math
• Balance academic and enrichment interests
• Develop a healthy life style through physical education, science and health/wellness programs
• Engage in efficient and effective study habits
• Gain international perspectives through our multi-cultural approach
• Respect and embrace diverse cultures through moral character education

Grade-level focus

First grade

• Become familiar with transitions and classroom routines
• Establish good study habits
• Learn to apply decoding strategies and phonic patterns
• Enhance phonemic awareness
• Comprehend simple Chinese stories and directions
• Achieve Chinese character recognition, classroom functional language, basic conversational skills and the ability to write short sentences
• Hanyu pinyin phonetic systems introduced
• Learn and apply strategies for impulse control, problem solving and anger management

Second grade

• Continue to reinforce reading fluency and phonic skills
• Focus on reading comprehension and story elements
• Develop international perspective through integrated 'Around the World' social studies units
• Speak Chinese in complete sentences in a designated situation or environment
• Form a short paragraph with simple sentences
• Master addition and subtraction skills and begin familiarity with the concept of multiplication
• Integrate monthly Respectful School themes in the curriculum

Third grade

• Continuation 'Around the World' focusing on organized writing and in-depth reading comprehension
• Understand main ideas, make inferences and build vocabulary
• Continue development of Chinese reading skills and conversational topics in depth
• Become familiar with the Chinese dictionary and calligraphy, and write essays in full form with opening, body and concluding paragraphs
• Master 1-2 digit multiplication and division skills, develop problem solving strategies
• Learn environmental awareness through social studies

Fourth grade

• Begin learning the formal writing process introduced in 'Writer's Workshop'
• Develop and expand skills in reading comprehension and vocabulary through lessons in California History
• Apply Chinese oral language in various settings
• Improve writing skills through letters, stories, comparison and contrast, and interviews
• Become familiar with simplified Chinese characters
• Strengthen computation skills, strategies for approaching word problems, techniques for logic, spatial awareness and quantitative reasoning
• Learn about justice, human rights and diversity through social studies

Fifth grade

• Continue and expand 'Writer's Workshop' practice
• Engage in literary analysis and expand vocabulary
• Expand Chinese reading and writing skills, enhance listening comprehension and verbal expression
• Improve presentation skills in Chinese through project-based lessons
• Develop research, organization and critical thinking skills through the study of U.S. history
• Take part in the Student Peer Conflict Manager program
• Participate in a two-week Student Exchange trip to Taipei