A novel way to teach Chinese language to preschoolers

Learning centers in both Naperville and Schaumburg are planning a unique way to introduce area children to China's Mandarin language at a very young age this fall.

Beginning Sept. 8, a KinderCare Learning Center in Schaumburg and a Knowledge Beginnings center in Naperville will offer an immersion program in Mandarin for 3- to 5-year-olds.

Their parent company, Knowledge Learning Corp., has selected only five locations across the nation to host this program.

Patricia Koh created the Mandarin bilingual immersion program 20 years ago in Singapore, and is now bringing it to these limited locations in the United States.

She was at an open house Tuesday evening at the Schaumburg KinderCare for parents curious about the program.

In Singapore, Mandarin is a second language after English, but Koh said she's seen kids benefit from such early immersion in a second language for two decades.

By learning Mandarin through hearing and repeating it in songs and games, she believes children actually find it easier than English because it's more visual and plagued by fewer exceptions to rules.

Koh said immersing children in languages early on increases their capacity to learn other languages later in life. And China's increasing importance on the world stage makes Mandarin a good choice, she added.

Nina and Michael Rau of Palatine, who send their 4-year-old daughter Mikayla to the Schaumburg KinderCare, have enrolled her in the Mandarin immersion program as well.

"I was into languages when I was young, and I wanted my daughter to do the same," Nina Rau said. "I just want her to have an understanding of the world around her, and it will help her in anything she does."

The Raus introduced Mikayla to foreign language through a Spanish program for 2½ years, but believe the Mandarin immersion program she'll take with her friend of Chinese descent will be even more effective.

Another of the new recruits is kindergartner Gabriel Classon. His 10-year-old brother, Daniel, has been learning Mandarin for the past few years through a program of the Chicago Northwest Suburban Chinese School held each Sunday during the school year at Fremd High School in Palatine.

The boys' mother is from Taiwan, which allows them further practice outside of classes, Daniel said.

"It's not that hard, but writing it and pronouncing it correctly is a little bit hard," he added.

The Xilin Northwest Chinese School also offers a weekly program. It uses Conant High School in Hoffman Estates.

Graduates of the Mandarin immersion program in Naperville may be able to continue their study of the language through a dual-language program in English and Mandarin that Unit District 203 will be offering at Ranch View Elementary School beginning in 2009.

The district's high schools, Naperville North and Naperville Central, offer Mandarin, as does Indian Prairie High School in nearby Unit District 204.

Knowledge Beginnings at 812 W. 75th St. in Naperville will be holding an open house for its program from 6 to 8 p.m. today.

For more information about the program, call the Schaumburg KinderCare at (847) 397-0799, or Knowledge Beginnings in Naperville at (630) 357-8263.