WHY HSM IS UNIQUE?

Cultivating joy, curiosity, and the appetite to learn in our children through the skillful exploration of Mandarin and music

 

The importance of cultivating a growth mindset in our kids

We love our children and want the best for them. We want to give them a head start in life. We want them to develop the skills to adapt and to transform themselves in an ever-changing world.

Mandarin Chinese is the most spoken language in the world with 918 million speakers, followed by Spanish, and then English.

In many parts of the world, it is common to find children learning and speaking 2 or more languages. The U.S. has long been viewed as a monolingual country although the percentage of children learning an additional language is gradually increasing over the years.

The combination of language and music increases our intelligence, improves our understanding of the world, and opens up new creative options. It improves our cognitive skills and helps us become more culturally-aware and culturally-sensitive.

Why learn a second language at an early age?

Exposing your children to additional languages when they are young reap many benefits. These include improved cognition and memory, improved academic performance, an understanding and connection with other cultures, and future career opportunities/advancements. Studies have also shown that the younger a child is when learning a language, the higher the likelihood that one will sound like a native speaker when speaking that language although the age that one loses the ability to sound like a native speaker is debatable.
 

Why is music important?

Most children enjoy music and react to music at an early age.
Early childhood music education offers a host of benefits as it ignites many areas of child development. It can help improve children's memory, learning skills, cognitive development, fine and gross motor, and socio-emotional regulation. Children can also enjoy and learn about different musical styles.
 

The Beauty of Combining Language with Music

Why combine music and language? Does learning through music work?

How many of us learned our ABCs by singing the alphabet song? How many of us can still recall songs sung in our childhood? Mandarin is a tonal language so it makes sense that we are able to learn Mandarin by singing Mandarin songs.
Brain research has shown that music has a unique way of engaging our brains which can help with learning. There are deep connections between music and language across cultures and generations. Tertiary educations have researched and concluded that singing in a foreign language can significantly improve learning how to speak it.
Susanna Zaraysky is a polyglot who speaks 8 - 9 languages and strongly advocates learning languages and pronunciation through music.

Why is Heart Strings Mandarin different from other classes?

The curriculum is original and loosely based on a theme. Classes emphasize FUN and target language acquisition, musical and non-musical goals. Using a variety of modalities to teach will also appeal to all types of learners.

Ms. Sharon's Unique Qualifications and Skills:

Hi. I'm a music educator & therapist

  • Have taught infants up to preschoolers music/movement classes and piano instruction for all ages
  • Have a good understanding of child development
  • Use music to achieve musical goals
  • Use music and other expressive arts modalities to achieve non-musical goals such as motor development, coordination, and emotional regulation
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Hi! I am a composer and fluent bilingual speaker

  • Teach primarily in Mandarin with occasional English and basic ASL to aid non-native Mandarin speakers
  • Focus on teaching useful vocabulary and phrases
  • Understand best practices in second language acquisition
  • Write original interesting songs with catchy melodies that appeal to both children and adults
  • Introduce children to different styles of music so they learn to develop an appreciation for music and broaden their musical horizon
  • Live acoustic guitar accompaniment (and occasionally keyboard) and vocals during class