Language Classes/ Enrichment Classes
Q. Why should my child learn a foreign language?
Knowledge of different languages has numerous benefits for children – greater creativity, better problem solving, higher order thinking skills, higher test scores at school, and adaptability to different cultural settings. The vocabulary they are able to use, their accent, tone of voice, and ability to speak more than one language strongly influence the life they will live. Teaching youngsters how to share ideas in more than one language opens a future for them in diplomacy, business, academics, medicine, law, and many other fields.
Q. Why start so young?
A child’s ability to learn languages is strongest between 6 months and 3 years – after that the younger the better. If a child is 12 or older we must use the technique for adults.
Q. Won’t my child get confused?
Children are capable of storing, identifying, understanding, and associating the right sounds to the right language. Linguists call this segmentation or differentiation. We have students speaking English at home, and learning Spanish and French at Key Element Learning. Parents report that they don’t mix up and can apply correct language with correct people.
Q. If we don’t speak the language at home can my child still learn to speak it?
Parents don’t need to know the language that their child is learning. Children are exposed to the language in class then practice with their workbooks and CDs at home.
Q. What can I expect?
Every child is different. Some kids tend to be very spontaneous in class, singing every song, and calling out answers. Some are very quiet and act shy. That’s just their learning style. They’re absorbing and retaining it all, in their own ways. They will show what they have learned in the future.
Q. What are the learning goals Key Element Learning classes can achieve?
Mastering any skill is a long-term process. Neither teachers nor parents should expect instantaneous results. Instead, we use terms like “absorb and retain”, “repeat”, “articulate”, and “demonstrate familiarity” to describe the learning goals we achieve as we progress toward long-range fluency. Key Element Learning classes launch a child’s skill-learning journey.
Q. Can I stay in class with my child?
Until your child is 3 years old, we do need a parent or caregiver in class for physical and emotional support.After the age of 3 children do better in class by themselves. While teachers and parents/caregivers must share the goal of helping the child achieve independent learning, the parent/caregiver may stay with the child for as long as necessary. The parent/caregiver plays a passive role in the learning environment and interacts with the child minimally, allowing the teachers to engage the child in class activities and to begin to create a student-teacher bond with the child.
Q. What if my child doesn't want to participate or doesn’t seem to focus on any given day?
Children may choose to participate in the activity at hand, or to watch. Both choices are positive choices. Research shows that even if the children seem not focus on any given day, they are soaking up the new language and skills. We have found that focus improves over time.
Q. How do you handle safety?
Curriculum lessons are designed with safety in mind, and our teachers are trained to prioritize safety above all.
Q. How clean is your facility?
We take great pride in providing an exceptionally clean facility for our students. All classroom toys, equipment, and every surface in our facility are constantly and thoroughly cleaned.
Q. Why should we trust Key Element Learning rather than other school?
Key Element Learning maintains modern and state-of-art facilities that are clean, safe and cozy. It is a warm and welcoming home base to create a unique and engaging environment that inspires learning and discovery. Our creative, up-to-date, fun and skill-building curricula is based on a developmentally appropriate approach that allows the emotional, social, physical and cognitive growth at each child’s own pace.
Effective teaching depends on a method and a curriculum – a systematic, evolving collection of tools designed to teach a particular subject to a particular age. Classes are infused with song, movement, and imaginative exploration, which stems from the belief that children remembers words that make them happy and children learn best through play.
We also maintain active parent communication and the teachers are available before and after class to discuss student progress with parents/caregivers.
Children at Key Element Learning grow to have the ability to generate original ideas and questions, own sense of independence, self-esteem, ability to cope fears and frustrations and persistence in resolving problems. Above all, they love school and learning!