Mandarin Immersion Parents Council

Information for parents of kids in Mandarin immersion education

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  • More readers for immersion!

    Screen Shot 2014-07-29 at 8.47.56 PMYay! The next set of Utah’s Step-by-Step readers is out. As we all know, reading more is key to increasing vocabulary and language ability. And these are one of the few series specifically created for kids in immersion. And what’s so great is that these are linked to the types of topics that U.S. students in elementary school need to read about. For example, the story in the book here, “The Invitation” is set among the Pacific Northwest indian tribes (it could also be southern Alaska, it looks Haida, coast Salish or Tsimshian, I can’t quite tell.) Most fourth graders study about local history, so this would work for anyone writing about Indians. I’m so psyched to start seeing things like this appear. So check them out!

    Beth

    Step by Step Level C

    Transport your students into a world of vivid color, imagination, and fun with Step by Step: Chinese Readers, Level C. Available July 28, 2014, this 19-volume set of colorfully illustrated graded readers builds on the vocabulary learned in the award-winning Step by Step Level A and Level B.
     
    Step by Step Level C expands content knowledge with six new curriculum areas, including science, anthropology, physics, astronomy, environment, and technology. Level C is designed for students with two to three years of elementary Chinese study, and is available in simplified or traditional characters.
     
    Step by Step Level C supports the needs of teachers and parents with its many extra resources on the companion web sitewww.cheng-tsui.com/stepbystep.  Included are audio recordings, vocabulary lists and flashcards, teaching tips, grammar guides, and writing templates. For more information regarding the Step by Step series, please visit http://www.cheng-tsui.com/store/products/step_step.
     
    For more information regarding our special pre-publication offer or any other
    Cheng & Tsui product, please visit www.cheng-tsui.com.
     
    To speak with a Publisher’s Representative, please call 1-800-554-1963 or
                                                             
    • Publication Date: July 28, 2014
    • Boxed set of 19 fully-colored illustrated volumes
    • ISBN: Simplified Characters 978-1-62291-051-9
                           Traditional Characters 978-1-62291-052-6

    What is Step by Step C?

    Transport students into a world of vivid color, imagination, and fun as they learn Chinese with Step by Step Level C. Designed for students with two to three years of elementary Chinese study, this delightful, 19-volume set of graded readers builds off the vocabulary learned in Step by Step Level A and Level B. Focusing on Grade 3 curricula based on the Utah State Standards in science and social studies, Step by Step Level C elaborates 6-high level content areas including:

    • Science (on general science concepts like the scientific method, gravity, and friction)
    • Anthropology (on Native American culture)
    • Physics (introducing Newton’s Laws of Motion)
    • Astronomy (gravity and the rotation/revolution of the Earth and moon)
    • Environment (explaining how energy from the sun affects us and the world)
    • Technology (simple machines)

    Pedagogical alignment with ACTFL’s 5 C’s and the Common Core State Standards places Step by Step in a unique position to satisfy the curriculum goals of every elementary school Chinese program: from intensive immersion to casual exploration.

     

    How does Step by Step, Level C work?

    The third in this multi-level series, Step by Step Level C includes 1 Foundation story which introduces numerous vocabulary and grammatical structures that spiral through the rest of the themes, while also reviewing content from Level A and Level B. After reading the Foundation theme, students and teachers can pick up any theme that suits their needs and interests, finding that grammar and vocabulary will both build within themes and spiral between all the content areas.

    There are three readers in each Level C theme. In total, Level C introduces over 450 new words, at 20-30 words per book. Like the earlier levels, the new vocabulary terms systematically recycle throughout each reader across all themes. Step by Step‘s content-based instruction continues to provide a context for learning and reinforces subject matter learned in other disciplines. The companion website includes audio recordings, teaching tips, vocabulary lists and flashcards, grammar guides, and writing practice templates.

    Home support

    Most American parents do not speak Chinese—this challenges programs and teachers to find new ways to help parents and guardians support their young learners during the study of Chinese. Step by Step Level C provides a variety of resources to meet this challenge, including full English translations, new word lists with pinyin, and a robust companion website complete with mp3 audio, flashcards, word lists, and more. Contact your representative for samples and more.

    Product Details

    ISBN-13: 9781622910519

    Format: Paperback

    Illustrations: Full Color

    Pages: 20pp

     

     

  • Immersion in Alaska — Yup’ik in Bethel

    Screen Shot 2014-07-31 at 7.59.28 PMCheck out their video and web page for the Ayaprun Elitnaurvik Yup’ik immersion school in the Lower Kuskokwim School District in Bethel, Alaska.

  • Check out PAASSC’s latest updates

    Our friends over at Parents of African American Students Studying Chinese have been busy updating their blog. Well worth a visit.

    http://www.paassc.com

     

     

    Screen Shot 2014-07-29 at 10.03.30 PM

  • Chinese Early Language Immersion Network launches

    [In the interests of full disclosure, I’m a parent representative to the (unpaid) advisory board for CELIN. We need More More More! immersion consortia and resources–and here’s one of them. Check out their web pages, lots of useful info.]

    From our friends at the Asia Society:

    CELIN Connection

    We are happy to report that in June, the CELIN resource pages were launched at AsiaSociety.org. Here you will find profiles of CELIN staff and advisors, a directory of programs, and a program registration form for Chinese early language and immersion programs to register to be included in the national searchable directory. In the Research and Resources section you can access slides from presentations made at the 2014 NCLC by leaders in Chinese immersion programs. In addition, we are compiling a list of organizations that focus on language education, including Chinese.

    In August, we will launch a new section called Ask the Experts, where experts in the field will answer commonly asked questions important to the field. The first topic will be “Assessment and Assessment Rubrics Used with Young Chinese Language Learners.” Please send us any questions you would like to have answered. If you have resources to share about this topic, or a question and answer you would like to discuss, please include them with your name, affiliation, and email, and we will share these.

    As the Chinese saying goes, 抛砖引玉; with our act of throwing out some rocks as a starter, we hope to receive jade in return. The CELIN Connection section of this newsletter and the website are a work in progress, and we will continue to build on them. Visit the web pages and tell us what you think! We will be happy to incorporate your suggestions. Enjoy the summer. –Shuhan Wang and Joy Peyton

    Please see more here.

  • In Illinois, Chinese doesn’t stop just because it’s summer

    District 220 Brings Chinese Culture to 60010 Students

    A successful Chinese Cultural Summer Camp was held in collaboration with the Taipei Economic Cultural Office for over 50 students in the 60010 area.

    Posted on 7/27/2014 7:01:00 PM by Shefali Bhuva

    Barrington 220, together with the Taipei Economic Cultural Office in Chicago, hosted a Chinese Folk Arts Summer Camp at Rose Elementary School in South Barrington.

    Open to any student from Kindergarten to 5th grade, the week-long program taught students about the Chinese culture. Through the hands on activities, the students learned about the language and the traditional forms of Chinese folk art.

    Over 50 students enrolled in the camp and while most were from the Barrington Area, one student came over from France to take part!

    On the last day, family and friends were invited to a cultural exhibition program where the students showed off what they had learned all week. Dances included the WeiZu Plate dance and Atayel Tribal Dance.

    The Atayel tribe is based in Taiwan and created ink based tattoos. Other arts featured wereChinese Acrobatics with hula-hoops, flags and balancing plates, Lucky Paper Cutting (with help from some VIP guests) and a tribute to the Chinese New Year with a twin dragon dance.
    The twin dragon dance is not frequently performed due to the complexity of it’s moves, but the young students did a great job! The teaching assistants and parents also got involved at the end and joined in with the dances.

    A very successful summer camp opportunity, educating interested students in the Barrington 220 area.

    Please see more here.

  • Higley, Arizona to get Mandarin immersion program

    Higley Unified

    New at Higley’s Coronado Elementary is a Mandarin immersion program for kindergarten and first grade. Students will spend half their day learning academics in English and half in Mandarin from a native Mandarin speaker, district spokeswoman Michelle Reese said.

    Reese said the program will allow the district to offer Mandarin immersion from kindergarten through high school.

    Please read more here.

  • Group working to start Mandarin immersion program in San Jose, Calif.

    NOTE: THE MEETING IS JULY 27 The group will be holding a community meeting Sunday July 27 at 3pm.
    It will be in Q84 Mary Campbell Room, Campbell Community Center, 1 West Campbell Ave, Campbell CA 95008.
    Their website and Facebook information is weiyucharter@gmail.com and facebook.com/weiyucharter.

    Wei Yu International Charter School

    The Wei Yu International Charter School will provide a challenging and comprehensive learning environment for Kindergarten through eighth grade students, preparing them to be lifelong learners and engaged global citizens. The school mission is to:

    • ●  Provide a bilingual and biliterate education that cultivates students’ emotional intelligence, wonder, and curiosity
    • ●  Promote high academic achievement, civic and moral responsibility, and a sense of accountability so that students are primed to be productive citizens in a dynamic global societyWei Yu International Charter School will be a K-8 public charter Mandarin Chinese immersion school located in West San Jose. We are currently petitioning in the Moreland School District. The school is slated to open in the fall of 2015 with two classes of kindergarten and two classes of first grade.We will utilize a Mandarin Chinese immersion model. Students will be offered a challenging, Common Core-aligned curriculum starting with 80% instruction in Mandarin Chinese and 20% in English. Children will initially receive more instruction in Mandarin Chinese because it will take more effort to learn a foreign language in an English dominant society. Based on the model, subjects taught in Mandarin Chinese will gradually transfer to English in upper grades.

      Wei Yu International will offer a well-rounded, world-class education including programs in the arts, music, and physical education. Wei Yu International’s education program will be based on the most current research and best practices in high performing schools. We will employ technology as a tool for learning, research, and production. Our students will develop skills in critical thinking and problem solving, creativity, communication, and cultural awareness.

      The founding families of Wei Yu International Charter School include professionals in education, technology, finance, business, and law who recognize that the world is an interconnected environment and are passionate about creating an opportunity for our children to be fully prepared as global citizens in the 21st century.