Living
Nurseries & Pre-Schools
Many parents enroll their babies and toddlers in nurseries and pre-schools to give them a head start on education and develop their social skills.
Most schools or kindergarten offer flexible schedules for younger children (typically from around 18 months old) who can attend a few days a week, half day or all day. In pre-kindergarten (ages 2 to 4) and kindergarten (ages 5 to 6), students tend to have a longer school day, typically from 08:00 to 15:00.
With Montessori, Multiple Intelligences Theory and Reggio Emilia, Beijing nurseries and pre-schools offer a wide variety of ways to educate children.
Named after Maria Montessori, Italy’s first female doctor, the Montessori approach groups children together across several years, so 2 to 5 year olds will often share the same classroom and teachers. The curriculum focuses on five areas: practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics, and culture. The philosophy behind it is that children can learn at their own pace, with their own choice of activities among a community of students.
Multiple Intelligences Theory is based on a book by Howard Gardner which challenged the traditional psychological view that intelligence is singular. He proposed individuals have seven independent intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, special, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Multiple Intelligences Theory approach fosters these intelligences.
Based on teaching methods in early childhood education in Reggio Emilia, Italy, this method puts the child in control of their education by focussing on the child and their strongest competencies. The approach includes building a curriculum based on the child’s interests, with small and large group projects.
Many schools offer a bilingual environment, exposing children to both English and Chinese languages (this is a popular choice among expats). Some offer lunch and after-school programmes.
Most teachers are university educated and certified in the various teaching pedagogies, though it’s a good idea to make a school visit to determine the level of instruction and allow your child to get a feel for the school.
Tuition fees for international nurseries, pre-schools and kindergartens tend to be steep, ranging from ¥25,000 to ¥103,000. School lunch, uniforms, assistance with English as a second language, transport on a school bus, the capital levy fee and after-school activities may not be included in some fees. Local nurseries like Beijing Huijia Kindergarten will accept foreign children and typically have much lower tuition fees.
Most schools or kindergarten offer flexible schedules for younger children (typically from around 18 months old) who can attend a few days a week, half day or all day. In pre-kindergarten (ages 2 to 4) and kindergarten (ages 5 to 6), students tend to have a longer school day, typically from 08:00 to 15:00.
With Montessori, Multiple Intelligences Theory and Reggio Emilia, Beijing nurseries and pre-schools offer a wide variety of ways to educate children.
Named after Maria Montessori, Italy’s first female doctor, the Montessori approach groups children together across several years, so 2 to 5 year olds will often share the same classroom and teachers. The curriculum focuses on five areas: practical life, sensorial, language, mathematics, and culture. The philosophy behind it is that children can learn at their own pace, with their own choice of activities among a community of students.
Multiple Intelligences Theory is based on a book by Howard Gardner which challenged the traditional psychological view that intelligence is singular. He proposed individuals have seven independent intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, special, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Multiple Intelligences Theory approach fosters these intelligences.
Based on teaching methods in early childhood education in Reggio Emilia, Italy, this method puts the child in control of their education by focussing on the child and their strongest competencies. The approach includes building a curriculum based on the child’s interests, with small and large group projects.
Many schools offer a bilingual environment, exposing children to both English and Chinese languages (this is a popular choice among expats). Some offer lunch and after-school programmes.
Most teachers are university educated and certified in the various teaching pedagogies, though it’s a good idea to make a school visit to determine the level of instruction and allow your child to get a feel for the school.
Tuition fees for international nurseries, pre-schools and kindergartens tend to be steep, ranging from ¥25,000 to ¥103,000. School lunch, uniforms, assistance with English as a second language, transport on a school bus, the capital levy fee and after-school activities may not be included in some fees. Local nurseries like Beijing Huijia Kindergarten will accept foreign children and typically have much lower tuition fees.
