Gift your child with the beauty of language and music!

Want to introduce a foreign language to your child? How about learning it through a fun and novel way? We offer Mandarin Chinese early childhood music and movement classes.

想让孩子自然而然熟悉中文？来试试有趣又特别的音乐律动语言学习法！

WHY?

Chances are when you were little, you sang the ABCs to learn your alphabet and you can still remember many songs you sang in your childhood. Mandarin is a tonal language so music is especially effective in helping one learn this language.

音乐是孩子与外界沟通最早的方式。中文是一种声调韵律性极强的语言，因此通过音乐来练习中文，效果非常好。

HOW?

In our classes, we sing, move, play instruments, tell stories, and use puppets. We learn the four tones of Mandarin through instrument-play. By employing these different modalities, our classes will appeal to all types of learners - visual, auditory, kinesthetic and tactile. Ms Sharon provides live music with her acoustic guitar and other instruments through a carefully developed curriculum and many original songs.

跟我们一起唱歌，打击乐器，讲故事和肢体律动，丰富多样的课程方式让小小孩高兴又专心。

WHO?

These classes are suitable for children 7 and under. You do not need prior knowledge of Mandarin as the teacher will explain in English and may use basic ASL during class. Song sheets are provided beforehand to enable non-native Mandarin speakers to follow along. Ms Sharon will tailor the class according to the Mandarin fluency of the class and both native and non-native Mandarin speakers are encouraged to join.

七岁以下的孩子，不需要中文背景，只要你喜欢唱歌，游戏，欢迎参加我们！

LEARN MORE

Edited clip from a class

I was interviewed in 2015 in Chapel Hill, NC where I founded Heart Strings Mandarin.
* Apologies for ads after vid

WHAT PARENTS SAY?

VIRTUAL

"This past Tuesday my 3 kids (ages 4, 6 and 8) trialed Sharon Gan's Heart Strings Mandarin Music class. This was hands down the BEST Mandarin class my 3 kids have ever taken all together. I was shocked that my 8 year old was interested because it was geared towards younger kids. Actually, I was shocked as well that my 4 year old wiggly son was engaged the entire lesson!! Sharon went all out in her class and it was super fun for me to watch my kids enjoying a music class while learning Mandarin." - Brittany

VIRTUAL

"My kids (4 and 6) have really enjoyed this fun music class last few months. Sharon creates a very engaging lesson with songs and props/ instruments. There's a different theme every month. I often catch my kids humming tunes they learned afterwards. It's a great way to introduce Mandarin and cultural exposure for both speakers and non-speakers." - Carol O. 
 

"My daughter just completed a year's worth of Heart Strings Mandarin classes with Sharon.  I'm not sure who enjoyed the classes more- my daughter or I!  In every class, Sharon's knowledge of second language acquisition and best practices for teaching were evident.  Classes are fun and interactive.  Sharon uses puppets, musical instruments, the always popular parachute, and numerous other props to engage her students and reinforce concepts.  The songs used to teach Mandarin, many of which Sharon composed herself, are infectious and fun to sing.  Frequently, my daughter asks to sing songs learned in class.  We have really enjoyed the classes and highly recommend them!  You would be hard pressed to find a teacher as approachable, friendly, and passionate about teaching Mandarin to children as Sharon 老师." 

 - Jennifer Galassi

"We are a Spanish speaking family and my 3 year old daughter goes to a Spanish immersion preschool. She speaks both English and Spanish. But on Saturdays we go to Ms. Sharon's Chinese music class and she loves all the songs and games  they play. I find her singing the Chinese songs at home and repeating the vocabulary while playing pretend. It is very exiting to see her growing and learning three languages. We appreciate the interactivity of the class. In half an hour Ms. Sharon manages to do puppets, story book, instruments, group dancing, parachute, games and many songs. Ms. Sharon is an amazing teacher and we enjoy bringing our daughter to her classes."

— Mariell Ramirez

VIRTUAL

"I personally want to thank you as it has been a struggle to find a good fit for our daughter. She wants to learn Chinese but none of the previous online classes worked for us. I'm so glad you helped ignite her interest in Chinese again. E is playing the guitar and singing after your class." - Esther L

"Sharon老师的课形式上和Music Together、Gymboree相似，有唱歌跳舞玩乐器及互动环节。不同之处是，Sharon用唱歌和游戏的方法教小朋友们简单的中文词语，寓教于乐，小朋友们学得很开心。我女儿已经上了两次，她很喜欢Sharon老师，我们还会一直上下去。

Sharon is a wonderful teacher. My daughter loves her. Sharon's classes are similar to those offered by Music Together or Gymboree, e.g.  singing, dancing, playing instruments, but has the unique component of Chinese teaching. I'm a native Chinese speaker and have been quite frustrated teaching my kids Chinese. In Sharon's class, I found (surprisedly and happily)  for young children it's an effective, fun way to learn Chinese through songs and rhythms. We've been in the class for two sessions and will continue!"
 
— Ya
 

VIRTUAL

"My kids have thoroughly enjoyed your music class. This past year was challenging due to the pandemic, and your classes brought joy to my kids.  Thank you for all that you do for all your students- it's so apparent that you love what you do day in and day out."

"Sharon is a phenomenal teacher and is able to keep even my 20 month old daughter engaged during her lessons! She is also great at differentiating instruction for learner's of all ages and ability levels. Both my 5 year old and 20 month old took away different things from the lessons. We love the class and love the songs. Sometimes the songs stay in our heads for the rest of the day and for many days after!!" -  Amy Tsugawa

"Sharon老师的拼音(pinyin)教学十分独创,天才,从未听说过.  光这一点就值得来上课."
 
— Hong
 
VIRTUAL
"My 3 year old daughter and I adore Sharon Laoshi's classes! My daughter is so excited when I tell her it's time for 中文音乐课. We both love the interactive songs, which are musically lovely unlike many other songs geared toward children. Sharon 老师 is incredibly enthusiastic and makes every child feel special, even though it's a Zoom class. The pacing is just right to engage little ones, and each session includes a story time and other moments when Chinese characters and specific vocabulary are introduced. But it never feels boring, all the children are riveted (at least, most of the time). 
Last but not least, it's fantastic to have one time in our week when we are not the only ones speaking Chinese, but part of a broader community of Chinese speakers. My Chinese is decent but not perfect, and the classes are also very helpful for my own language skill refinement. Many thanks to Sharon Laoshi for providing this amazing resource!"  - Tami
"My son and I look forward to attending Chinese music class every Monday morning. My son loves Teacher Sharon and will say her name repeatedly on the way to class. The songs we have learned have really helped my son cement the small amount of Mandarin he has learned at home, in addition to teaching him (and me!) new words. Sharon does a great job of keeping the children entertained, and she writes out the song lyrics in both Chinese and pinyin so that native and non-native Mandarin speakers alike can follow and sing along. I highly recommend Sharon and Chinese music class! "
 
— Mei
 

VIRTUAL

"It has been a wonderful experience with Sharon for my little ones during the pandemic! Immerse language learning in a very fun way! Especially my 4 yr old son who is quite sensitive to any new changes adapted quickly to these Zoom music sections. And are giving much more interactions in the classes than I expected. He also gained a lot of confidence of speaking (or at least sing in) Chinese. We truly appreciate Sharon’s work and looking forward attending her in-person classes when everything gets to ‘normal’. "

"我兒子簡直太愛Sharon老師的音樂課了！ 對4歲多在家沒有太多中文環境的小朋友來說，這簡直是perfect amount的又好玩又學到東西。1歲多的妹妹一半時間也都難得地圍在旁邊看。期待新冠早一點控制好，我們就可以去上Sharon老師的面對面課程了"！- Sisi Yang

"My 3 year old daughter and I have been to three classes of the "Courtesies and Greetings" series and we are enjoying every minute.  Sophie is drawn into the music and dancing and in this week's class she started singing -- in Mandarin!  She is also using some of her Mandarin at home to teach her father, brother, and sister.  Ms. Sharon uses just enough English for English-speaking parents to understand what her objectives are and what the meaning is in a song or book.  The children get to use a variety of instruments as well as puppets when singing or acting out a song.  Sharon teaches to a variety of learning styles in every class and maintains a fun, relaxed tone throughout. "
 
— Jill S.
 
"I really liked how all parts of the class related to each other. For example, the first song taught the Mandarin words for various family members such as mommy, daddy, brother, sister, etc.. Then, later in the class, Sharon read a funny story about family members and their car. Hearing these Mandarin words in a song and then again in a story helped to reinforce learning them."
 
— Lisa S.
 
"My two year old loves attending Heart Strings Mandarin (HSM) classes and is singing in Chinese at home.  Not only is my two year old learning Chinese but I am too. We have covered many useful subjects, such as greetings, numbers, animals, and family members.  I am a parent of a Mandarin Dual Language (MDL) student and so excited to have found HSM! Sharon’s teaching style has made Chinese much easier for me (a native English speaker) to understand (especially hearing tones and reading pinyin).  I have found HSM to be great exposure for the siblings/ parents of MDL students and children hoping to enter a MDL program! Plus my MDL student loves that her Mom & little brother are starting to understand her as she speaks Chinese at home."
 
— Amie Lindquist

"What my daughter has learned over the last 8 months is mind-boggling. She knows the words to songs and sings along enthusiastically in class. I can hum a tune and she'll jump in with the words. She and her older brother (in the Mandarin DL program) can sing some songs together. They compare vocabulary they know for family members, animals, and colors. They like to have a new and special language they can share.  The combination of characters, music, and movement in Heart Strings Mandarin classes is age-appropriate. It warms my heart that she's picked up so much so quickly and that our two children have a shared experience though they're learning separately."

— Alyssa Crockett

"I highly recommend!!! What's a better gift than another language for your child? It's a wonderful experience that shouldn't be missed."
 
— Erin Seu

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