What the day looks like

Our play-based curriculum follows school-readiness guidelines, helping children acquire a second language through literature, music, arts & crafts, and themed study. Three kinds of learning are woven through each day:

Free-choice activity time — children explore crafts, puzzles, drawing, and reading as teachers guide friendship and social skills.
Language art — characters, numbers, shapes, colors, a weekly theme, and culture, all in the target language.
Group learning time — a weekly theme explored through art, science, and music projects.

Sample curriculum

Monthly themes connect language practice with science, art, music, stories, community events, and cultural traditions. The sample curriculum includes:

Month	Themes	Culture and language study
September	New school year; all about me; apples	Moon Festival; school rules; greeting words; “thank you” and “sorry”; families and friends; apples and orchards
October	Trees and leaves; fabulous fall; plenty of pumpkins	Falling leaves; fall colors; pumpkins, scarecrows, and haystacks; Halloween and a class party
November	Community helpers; Thanksgiving; Pilgrims and Native Americans	Cultural performance; firefighters, police officers, and 911; fire safety; manners and giving thanks
December	Celebrating the season	Christmas and New Year traditions; stars and giving
January	Snow and hibernation; polar animals; the five senses; Lunar New Year	Snow and ice; touch, sight, smell, taste, and hearing; Lunar New Year traditions
February	Valentine’s Day; healthy bodies	Groundhog Day; love and hearts; postal workers; body parts and healthy foods; Presidents’ Day
March	Wild weather; St. Patrick’s Day; forest animals	Cloud watching, wind, and rain; spring; forest animals and what they eat
April	Zoo animals; love our Earth	Zebras and patterns; zookeepers and veterinarians; Easter; Earth Day; water and recycling
May	In my garden; bugs and butterflies	Gardens and insects; Mother’s Day; graduation and a class party
June	Summer safety	Father’s Day and summer safety

Sample schedule

This sample shows the full-day rhythm and the separate Chinese and Japanese morning rotations. Activities and exact times may vary by class and age group.

Early care and morning welcome

Time	Activity
8:00–9:00 a.m.	Center opens for early care
9:00–9:25 a.m.	Greeting and free-choice play
9:25–9:35 a.m.	Clean-up and toileting before class

Chinese morning groups

Time	Group 1	Group 2
9:35–10:05 a.m.	Circle time and language arts
10:05–10:15 a.m.	Handwashing and snack
10:20–10:50 a.m.	Outdoor play	Math, science, or music
10:50–11:00 a.m.	Toileting and handwashing	Transition to outdoor play
11:00–11:25 a.m.	Math, science, or music	Outdoor play
11:25–11:55 a.m.	Project and story time
11:55 a.m.–12:00 p.m.	Morning ending circle and dismissal

Japanese morning group

Time	Activity
9:35–10:15 a.m.	Language arts
10:15–10:30 a.m.	Handwashing and snack
10:35–10:50 a.m.	Math, science, or music
10:50–11:20 a.m.	Outdoor play
11:20–11:30 a.m.	Toileting and handwashing
11:30–11:55 a.m.	Project and story time
11:55 a.m.–12:00 p.m.	Morning ending circle and dismissal

Lunch, rest, and afternoon class

Time	Activity
12:05–12:45 p.m.	Lunch and clean-up
12:50–2:50 p.m.	Nap and quiet time for full-day students
12:45–1:00 p.m.	Afternoon free-choice play
1:05–1:20 p.m.	Afternoon circle time
1:20–1:40 p.m.	Language arts
1:40–2:00 p.m.	Math, science, or music
2:00–2:30 p.m.	Language arts
2:30–3:00 p.m.	Project and story time
2:50–3:00 p.m.	Transition time for children waking from nap

Extended-day activities

Time	Activity
3:00–3:30 p.m.	Afternoon snack for full-day students
3:30–4:20 p.m.	Outdoor play
4:20–4:30 p.m.	Transition to indoor activities
4:30–5:00 p.m.	Learning-center time (STEM)
5:00–5:15 p.m.	Late-afternoon snack
5:15–6:00 p.m.	Closing activities and dismissal