What We Teach – the Philosophy and Curriculum at JING Kids
At JING Kids, we firmly believe that all children should be given the opportunity to learn the skills they will need to succeed in a global market and an interconnected world, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and preferably in a way that is both fun and challenging.
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Chinese
We chose to teach Mandarin Chinese because it is the most common language on earth, because China is a rising global power, and because Chinese is a root language for many other Asian languages (for example, Japanese is much easier to learn if you already know Chinese!).
In our JING Kids Chinese classes, we teach not only how to speak Chinese, but also how to read and write Chinese, even from a very young age. We want our children to understand the basic historical and pictorial basis of written Chinese, how it originated and how it has developed over the past 3000 years -- this will help them to understand and remember Chinese characters, and deepen their understanding of everything they say.
For all children, we enjoy learning songs and poems. We learn new songs every few weeks according to holidays, seasons, and curriculum. This allows the children to have a fun, catchy tune they can sing or recite all day long; practice recognizing all the radicals and characters they have already learned; be exposed to many other common words and phrasings; and experience an integral part of Chinese culture! We also alternate between classic Chinese (kids) songs and Chinese songs put to common English tunes, like "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "The Hokey Pokey", so children can practice both familiar tunes and new ones.
For very young children, we emphasize spoken language and learning easy-to-recognize Chinese radicals and single-component characters. Radicals are components of Chinese characters that usually give meaning, and sometimes act as characters (whole words) in themselves. Most Chinese characters (words) are simply combinations of multiple components; for example, you will find the "mouth" radical as a component of many characters having to do with eating, drinking, shouting, and singing; you will find a "wood" radical as a component of many characters having to do with trees and things typically made out of wood. Therefore, though a child many not know the exact meaning of a character, the child may deduce the basic category of its meaning through its radical and components.
For older children, we challenge them to learn both radicals and characters, to be able to read and write, speak and understand.
For children with prior Chinese experience, we may do a number of things:- If the child can only speak but not write, then we emphasize reading and writing. These children may also learn the course material at a deeper level, or learn additional material while their classmates master the current chapter material.
- If the child can speak fluently and read and write, then we strive to deepen their understanding of the Chinese language through more challenging exercises and games, as well as through learning more advanced songs, classic poetry and verse, and Chinese idioms and stories.
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Wushu / Kung Fu
Wushu / Kung Fu is one of China's "Cultural Treasures." It originated in the same way that all martial arts originate, to protect the self and fight off enemies, and has since developed into a very intense sport and refined art.
A note on word usage:- "Kung Fu" is a primarily southern-Chinese term used to refer to the martial arts. "Kung Fu" itself means "time and hard work", two things required for good Chinese Martial Arts. Since it was primarily southerners who first immigrated to the United States, all Chinese Martial Arts are commonly known as "Kung Fu" in the United States.
- In northern China, largely where the martial arts were organized and developed, the Chinese Martial Arts are called "Wushu", literally "Martial Arts".
What we teach is that organized and developed art, Wushu. This martial art is deeply documented and studied. It has not made its way into the Olympics quite yet, but the bid is in!
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JING Technology and Academics
We at JING have our own STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) program, called JING Bits, Bots, & Mathwerks. Just like our After-School and Saturday Program, we developed JING Bits, Bots, & Mathwerks for our own children, so that they could learn and practice math and engineering skills for a dedicated time every week, on-site.
As teachers, we are glad that our students have consistent practice in the skills of logic, planning, testing, trouble-shooting, and perseverance; as parents, we are happy that our children are enjoying the classes and laughing with their friends while learning.
We hope that you, too, will take advantage of the JING Bits, Bots, & Mathwerks Program!
Extra Enrichment!
Thursdays are minimum days in Scripps Ranch Schools, so we take advantage of that time for Extra Enrichment! We use this time to learn fun things like Chess, Engineering, Piano, Calligraphy, Origami, and et cetera.
Please see our main page for a list of current and upcoming classes!
Some of our regular programs include:
- Mad Science at JING!
From the Mad Science website: "Our qualified and dynamic instructors use professional lesson plans and unique material. Our instructors bring all of the equipment to... cover topics such as chemical reactions, rocketry, sound, matter, electricity and more.
"Each week, students will make and take home a science project related to the class topic. Mad Science also provides a take-home card to students at the end of each class that describes the key vocabulary and includes an experiment that can be done at home."
- "Kids Chess Club: Learn to Play, Play to Learn."
"This after-school program features experienced instructors who will cultivate an appreciation for chess among children of all ages. In addition to having fun, children will learn and develop life-long transferable skills such as:
- critical thinking
- self-confidence
- sportsmanship
- decision making
- improved concentration
- leadership and mentoring
- observation skills
- mental discipline
- competition"
Learn more on the Kids Chess Club site!
- Lego Engineering at JING!
Learn more at www.play-well.org
To find JING, enter our zip code (92131) into the upper right corner of the main page, under "Find a Location Near You".
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For Older Siblings and Parents, Teenagers and Adults
We offer a rich complement of Chinese Martial Arts classes for teenagers and adults, including Wushu / Kung Fu, Wing Chun Kung Fu, and Taiji / Tai Chi. Please visit our main Martial Arts site for more information and a weekly schedule of classes!
We look forward to meeting you and working with you to make the world a better place, one child at a time!