Starting Education From Age Zero

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Being a new first-time parent has made me realize that there are so many small knick-knacks when it comes to parenting that I’ve never thought about before. Sure, there are guides, books, and helpful friends who are more than willing to shell out their personal experience to help guide you into a new chapter of your life, but there are so many different styles of parenting that it feels almost impossible to find a “right” one.At the beginning of this year, when the beijingkids team was putting together our 2020-2021 School Choice Guide I had the opportunity to look at profiles of essentially every international school in the city. One of the things that confused me the most was preschools who listed their student age range starting from 0.

As an overly practical person, it got me wondering, did that mean that some new parents in Beijing were going from the hospital to the preschool? Am I missing out on a new parenting trend?To find out more, I had a chat with Vivian Shao, Co-Founder of Journey Academy of Beijing (JA), one of the schools that accept students from ages 0-6, and offers Mommy & Me classes for kids under 1-year-old.Before joining JA in 2016, Shao worked in the government on top-level design projects and overall planning, and has extensive experience in systems management and handling international affairs. She has worked and lived in different countries, harbors an open attitude and international vision, and a unique opinion on how to develop children’s recognition of their Chinese identity in a global environment.

In the process of nurturing her own child, Shao realized there was a shortage of high-quality early childhood education resources that accept Chinese nationals. She decided to leave her career and co-founded Journey Academy of Beijing with her partner, a decision she made for her own children and the children of families with common educational values.“We know parents’ needs and anxieties, and value the parent’s voice. Most of all, we are committed to cultivating global citizens that are life-long learners, rooted in Chinese culture and identity, to become talented leaders for our future world and the rise of China,” Shao tells beijingkids.

Located in the pioneering international community of Chaoyang District, JA is dedicated to offering excellent education services to children from the ages of 0-6 years old. The aim is to preserve children’s aspirations, empower their curiosity, and inspire their passion to find infinite discoveries. JA’s education program is based according to the principles of the IB PYP curriculum. They have adopted the Reggio Emilia approach to inspire the children’s natural talents, and inspire them to achieve the impossible. JA’s unique language learning system is devoted to cultivating children to be native speakers in both English and Chinese. The House System in JA develops a student’s sense of belonging and allegiance to their Houses during their time there. JA is committed to cultivating world citizens that are knowledgeable, balanced, empathetic, and enthusiastic about social affairs, and actively contribute to the community.

Unlike a few other kindergartens in Beijing, JA accepts students ranging from ages 0-6 years old. Can you tell us a bit about why your school is accepting children under 6-months-old?

Our program for children under 3-years-old is Reggio, which helps young children develop their motor skills, language, social and emotional development. We have classrooms designed especially for young children, equipped with baby care facilities that are safe and eco-friendly. Also, our teachers have rich experiences in teaching children under 6 months. We also provide classes for the parents too, to help new parents to learn more about the development of children.

What is a typical class for kids under 6-months-old like?

Children under 6-months-old are developing their senses and motor skills. We provide lots of different materials for them to feel, lots of music and rhythm games, and of course baby sports.

What kind of skills does a child under 6 months learn at Journey Academy?

Motor skills, sensory development, bilingual environment, music, social, and emotional development.

What’s the tuition for a child who attends the Mommy & Me class?

RMB 6,000 per ten-class package
RMB 8,000 per month (twice a week)
Group discount is available, please contact the Admissions Office (details below).

*Hear that parents? This is a perfect opportunity to get a few friends together for Mommy & Me classes, where you and the kids get to spend time together and save some money in the process.

For first time expecting moms, when do you recommend they start looking at kindergartens?

Many parents start to look for kindergartens during their pregnancy! Different families have different understandings and demands for early year education. We think it is very important to know more about the kindergartens around your home before choosing. We recommend parents to decide on their children’s kindergarten before 2-years-old.

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Is there an interview process for infants? If so, what does it involve?

We have interviews for application families. The interview covers the assessments for language, recognition, social, emotional, and physical development.

What is a Mommy & Me class like for a first time mom? What can she expect to learn from the class? What can her baby expect to learn from the class?

We think it is very important for new moms to feel safe and relaxed in our classes. Mothers have lots of work to do to take care of their children, they need academic and psychological support from us. We teach parents and their babies interactive activities, sports, art and music activities, and also workshops for the parents.

During the COVID-19 period, how can parents get to know Journey Academy better? Will you be holding online school tours?

Feel free to visit our website, follow us on WeChat (ID: JourneyAcademy), call over or drop a message to our Admission Department at [phone] (for phone and WeChat enquires).During the COVID-19 period, we offer Online Admission Talk for families interested in learning more about Journey Academy. Feel free to register through our Admission Department.

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Photos: Journey Academy of Beijing

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