Blog
Preparing for Mandarin Immersion Programs
With globalization’s impact no longer deniable, more and more public (and private) schools around the U.S. are offering dual language programs starting from elementary school. Mandarin Immersion Parents Council estimate nearly 280 Mandarin programs exist in 2019. States with the
California Sponsored Homeschool Funding
Homeschooling your child(ren) in California (or planning to keep up with the children’s Mandarin progress for the summer)? We have exciting news to share! Little Chinese Readers is now an approved vendor for three homeschool charter schools – Valiant Prep
Learning Mandarin With Spaced Repetition
All Mandarin learners know the hardest part about the language is the need to memorize thousands of unique Chinese characters to achieve elementary level literacy. Spaced repetition has long been a popular strategy for utilized by students learning Chinese to
Top 5 Chinese Instruments
With every culture comes its own set of music and instruments. The same can be said for the Chinese culture. The Chinese have a variety of instruments to create a unique sounding music that can be enjoyed by everyone. Today,
What do each of the Zodiac animals mean?
Every year, you will probably hear someone talk about the Zodiac animals. But did you know that each of the different Zodiac animals mean something for the people born in those years? For example, if you are born in the
Where do the Chinese Zodiac Animals come from?
Every new year, you may hear someone talk about what zodiac animal it is this year. For example, this year, 2019, is the year of the pig. But what does this actually mean? Where do all the Chinese Zodiac animals
Everything You Need to Know About The Year Of The Pig
As we reign in the New Year, we also reign in a new Zodiac animal to represent the year. This year, 2019, will be the Year of The Pig. The Year of The Pig is quite important, as the last
10 Traits That Require ZERO Talent
A year ago, an image listing out the “10 things that require zero talent” went viral on social media. The Little Chinese Readers team loved it so much that we have it printed and hung on our wall — both at
Teaching Your Kids Mandarin at Home (for Chinese-Speakers)
If you are a Chinese-speaking parent living in a non-Chinese-speaking country, chances are your children have a much more advanced in speaking/listening Chinese than they are in reading/writing Chinese. Part of the reason is that speaking/listening occur more naturally (especially
Legend of Chinese New Year (年的由来）
Chinese New Year is now one of the most widely celebrated holidays around the world. Not only is it celebrated by weeklong off-days in many countries such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea, it is celebrated by millions
5 Easy Steps to Start a Bilingual Playgroup
Many bilingual parents notice that their children, who are perfectly comfortable speaking in one of the parents’ native languages at home, suddenly starts to resist speaking it when they enter formal schooling where the primary language used is English. This
What Do A Country’s Children’s Books Reveal About Its Culture?
It’s no secret that kids (and adults) learn from what we read. Some psychology researchers decided to look into the children’s books in China and the U.S. to compare the “values” and “messages” passed in these books. Cecilia Cheung, a
Giving Thanks in the Chinese Culture
Giving thanks is a big deal in the Chinese culture. While the Chinese do not have a holiday dedicated Thanksgiving, the sentiment is reflected most closely in the QingMing festival (清明節), which is a day when people visit the burial
How Long Does It Take To Learn Chinese?
It depends… but the following formula serves as a good rule of thumb. Time to Learn Chinese = Level of Proficiency x Age of Learner Let’s break the question down. Unlike the English language, Chinese isn’t alphabet-based. A Chinese character contains
Learning Chinese Slows Down Brain Aging
Stay Young By Working Out Your Brain Latest research shows that learning a new language strengthens your brain and the more you do it, just like physical exercise, the more you build up your “brain muscles.” In 2014, researchers at Penn State
Learning Chinese is BORING…. or does it have to be?
OK. I know my kids would benefit a lot from learning Chinese… BUT Mandarin classes are so BORING… have you seen the Chinese class writing drills and the poems? Yes…. and I am with you on that. That’s why we
5 Reasons Why Every Kid Should Learn Chinese
Chinese is a difficult language to speak AND to read so why should we insist that our kids learn the language? 1. Chinese is the native language for 20% of the world’s population. Learning the language creates an immediate connection between
