Program overview

Preschool is where the PKS approach to learning begins. Our Reggio Emilia-inspired, Mandarin immersion program is grounded in the belief that young children are strong, capable, and deeply curious. Through play, inquiry, relationships, and creative expression, children explore their ideas, encounter new challenges, and make sense of the world around them.

Learning is active and joyful. Children sing, build, draw, dance, investigate, tell stories, experiment, take field trips, and collaborate with one another, all while developing Mandarin through meaningful daily experiences.

Our Reggio Emilia-inspired approach begins with children’s questions, ideas, and observations. Teachers build on their interests, creating opportunities for deeper exploration and discovery.

A question that begins in conversation or play might grow into an investigation lasting days, weeks, or even months, weaving together science, math, language, art, movement, and storytelling. Teachers are partners in this process, thoughtfully guiding learning while giving children meaningful opportunities to make choices, test ideas, solve problems, and follow their curiosity.

Growing hearts and minds

Children grow tremendously during the preschool years. From P1 through P3, our developmental approach meets children where they are while thoughtfully building toward greater communication, independence, engagement, and connection with others.

Across these years, we nurture growth in five interconnected areas:

• Mandarin development: From building comprehension through routines, songs, play, and everyday experiences to asking questions, engaging in dialogue, developing a rich vocabulary, and beginning to recognize and write Chinese characters.
• Sense of self and social-emotional development: From forming trusting relationships and becoming aware of others to collaborating, considering different perspectives, and participating more independently in a community.
• Communication and language: From expressing needs, feelings, and ideas to engaging in increasingly rich conversations, listening to others, and developing early literacy.
• Engagement, creativity, and critical thinking: From sensory exploration and symbolic play to sustained investigation, intentional creative expression, reflection, and problem solving.
• Physical development: From growing body awareness and self-help skills to developing coordination, fine-motor control, dexterity, and increasingly purposeful movement.

Language acquisition through meaningful experience

Mandarin isn’t something children simply “study.” It is a language they use to play, create, explore, build relationships, and discover. Children develop comprehension and communication through the experiences that fill their day, from songs and stories to projects, conversations, celebrations, and play.

Because language develops in meaningful contexts, children connect new words and expressions to ideas, actions, relationships, and experiences they understand. This reflects a broader principle across PKS: Chinese is an authentic part of the learning experience, not simply the language in which a lesson is delivered.