Parents and caregivers are increasingly aware of the need to take advantage of brain development in the first 5 years of life.  The Heart of Learning  . . Unlocking the Key to Every Child's Potential offers guidelines to support development.  A unique focus on language development happens at the Sponge Schools in Seattle and Issaquah, Washington, children from newborn to age 5 learn Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese. According to an article in Northwest Asian Weekly, the school’s Mandarin program recently surpassed the Spanish program to become the school’s most popular language and the favorite of many parents.

“It’s natural to them,” said Taryn Zier, the director of communications at Sponge. “Language is so powerful for kids. Our school reaches out to really young children.”

Many parents accompany their children to school on Saturday mornings to learn Chinese in an interactive classroom complete with toys, snacks, and a native Chinese teacher, Wenxin Huang-Gillis. During the 55-minute sessions, Huang-Gillis speaks only Chinese to the students and their parents, and uses language, props, and her enthusiasm to reach them.

The toddlers repeat the Chinese words back to Huang-Gillis. During snack time, one child asked for more crackers by saying, “Hen duo hen duo” (many many), to the delight of the classroom’s parents.

Zier states that “We want to offer a quality program. We use things that are meaningful to kids. We do a session about things in the house, things in the park, words and activities associated with kids. Learning things that are meaningful to them is very powerful.”

Sponge School provides parents with cultural tips, monthly newsletters, and strives to help children make a language connection outside of the classroom.

Jackie Friedman Mighdoll, the founder of Sponge School and a parent of two children, aged 2 and 4, recently returned from a family vacation to Shanghai. Her children have taken the Mandarin class for over two years, and were not afraid to speak up during the family’s visit.

“The more you speak, the more you want to speak. … It’s the thrill of asking, and people are thrilled to show,” said Mighdoll.

Teachers and parents are delighted to see the young children embrace learning that goes beyond language. As Huang-Gillis says, “For me I am not only teaching Chinese language, but also I am trying to propagate Chinese culture and let people know China and Chinese people well.”

For more information about the Sponge School, visit www.spongeschool.com.