Toddlers, Kids & Teens

Fall Registration now open!

Fall classes begin with in-person and online offerings on Friday, September 13, 2024. Our program offers language class levels for toddlers, children and teens. Choose from a variety of classes designed to meet the learning objectives of every student. We are accepting new and returning students ages 2-16 years old for the Fall semester at all proficiency levels!

Early bird discount! Sign up before Monday, September 2, 2024 and receive a $100 discount.  

Family Discount! Siblings of current students are eligible to receive one 30-minute private one-on-one tutoring session ($50 value), as well as for students with China Institute in America Family Memberships.

Classes follow the academic school year from September 2024 to June 2025. Each semester consists of 15 sessions. You may view our 2024-2025 academic calendar here.

Have a question? Please contact Angela Chen, at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Playlist

25 Videos

AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES (Downtown Location)
40 Rector Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10006

Mandarin Munchkins 小橘豆 (1-2 years old)

Tuesday, 10:00 – 11:00 AM
Thursday, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Come learn Chinese language and enjoy bonding time with your little munchkin! Designed for both parents (or caregivers) and their children, this immersive Mandarin class will teach early childhood themes, basic phrases, and practical conversational skills through music and movement. Our experienced teachers are native Mandarin speakers with extensive training in early childhood education. No prior Mandarin knowledge is required for this class.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week, with the option to enroll for both days.

Pricing:

(1 day/week) Tuesday or Thursday
For returning students: $975 with early bird discount*
*$975 → $1075 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

For new students: $1,025 with early bird discount*
*$1,025 →1,125 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

 

(2 day/week) Tuesday + Thursday
For returning students: $1,850 with early bird discount*
*$1,850 → $1,950 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

For new students: $1,900 with early bird discount*
*$1,900→$2,000 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

 

Classes start September 17, 2024 (Tuesday) and/or September 19, 2024 (Thursday). 

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Tuesday
10:00 - 11:00 AM
Thursday
10:00 - 11:00 AM
Tuesday & Thursday
10:00 - 11:00 AM
Toddler (2-4 years old)

Tuesday, 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Sunday, 9:30 – 11:00 AM

Chinese for Toddlers ages 2 to 4 years old classes are taught using hands-on, theme-based curriculum, where students are fully immersed in Chinese language through songs, games, and interactive activities. Toddlers will develop basic understanding, communication and social skills by the end of the course.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week, with the option to enroll for both days.

Pricing:
For returning students: $1,185 with early bird discount*
*$1,185 → $1,285 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students: $1,235 with early bird discount*
*$1,235 → $1,335 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start on September 17, 2024 (Tuesday) and/or September 15, 2024 (Sunday).

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Tuesday
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 - 11:30 AM
Prep + STEAM: for Children ages 5 to 10 years old

Day: Wednesday
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM  

By engaging in hands-on activities, students are divided into small groups of similar age and language levels to explore STEAM through an interactive approach, building language skills and expressing ideas in Mandarin Chinese. Scientific and artistic inventions and discoveries in China, such as papermaking and navigation, are also integrated into the curriculum. Using a theme-based curriculum, students will participate in a series of engaging and interactive age-appropriate activities, games, songs, etc. In addition to listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, students will also develop social skills and strengthen their study habits.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week.

Pricing:
For returning students: $1,185 with early bird discount*
$1,185 → $1,285 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students: $1,235 with early bird discount*
$1,235 →  $1,335 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start September 18, 2024 (Wednesday). 

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Wednesday
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Intensive Literacy 1: for Children ages 5 to 11 years old

Sunday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM
Wednesday, 3:30 – 5:30 PM

Focus is placed on writing skills, while continuing to advance students’ conversational competence. Classes meet for 2 hours a week, allowing for intensive study in an immersive Chinese language environment. With a dynamic, interactive, and student-centered approach, our small-sized classes are guided by a theme-based curriculum where students learn characters based on frequency of use and complexity. In addition to building students’ conversational skills through a variety of age-appropriate topics, this Intensive Literacy class builds a solid foundation for literacy, leading to a high-level proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing, in addition to a more thorough understanding of Chinese culture. At the end of Intensive Literacy 1, students will be able to read age-appropriate passages and write simple sentences in Chinese.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week.

Pricing:
For returning students: $1,560 with early bird discount*
*$1,560 → $1,660 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students:  $1,610 with early bird discount*
*$1,610 → $1,710 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start on September 15, 2024 (Sunday) or September 18, 2024 (Wednesday). 

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Sunday
9:30 - 11:30 AM
Wednesday
3:30 - 5:30 PM
Intensive Literacy 2: for Children ages 7 to 10 years old

Sunday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM
Wednesday, 3:30 – 5:30 PM

For students with fluency or near fluency in conversational Mandarin Chinese, this class will focus on reading and writing skills, while continuing to advance their conversational competence. Students engage in intensive study, immersed in a Chinese language environment for 2 hours a week. With a dynamic, interactive, student-centered approach, our small-sized classes are guided by a theme-based curriculum where students learn characters based on frequency of use and complexity. In addition to building students’ conversational skills in a variety of age-appropriate topics, the Intensive Literacy class builds a solid foundation for literacy, leading to a high-level proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing, as well as an in-depth understanding of Chinese culture. At the end of Intensive Literacy 2, students will be able to read age-appropriate stories independently and write simple paragraphs in Chinese.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week.

Pricing:
For returning students: $1,560 with early bird discount*
*$1,560 → $1,660 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students: $1,610 with early bird discount*
*$1,610 → $1,710 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start on September 15, 2024 (Sunday) or September 18, 2024 (Wednesday).

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Sunday
9:30 - 11:30 AM
Wednesday
3:30 - 5:30 PM
Intensive Literacy 3: for Children ages 5 to 11 years old

Day: Wednesday
Time: 3:30 – 5:30 PM  

For students with significant prior experience in writing and reading Mandarin Chinese, Intensive Literacy 3 builds on foundational literacy skills in an excelled learning environment, while continuing to advance students’ conversational competence. Students engage in intensive study, immersed in a Chinese language environment for 3 hours a week. With a dynamic, interactive, student-centered approach, our small-sized classes are guided by a theme-based curriculum where students learn characters based on frequency of use and complexity. In addition to building students’ conversational skills in a variety of age-appropriate topics, Intensive Literacy classes build a solid foundation for literacy, leading to a high-level proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing, as well as an in-depth understanding of Chinese culture. At the end of Intensive Literacy 3, students will be confident in their ability to read advanced passages independently and write paragraphs and short essays in Chinese.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week.

Pricing:
For returning students: $1,560 with early bird discount*
*$1,560 → $1,660 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students:  $1,610 with early bird discount*
*$1,610 → $1,710 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start on September 15, 2024 (Sunday) or September 18, 2024 (Wednesday). 

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Wednesday
3:30 - 5:30 PM
Advanced Mandarin: HSK, YCT Test Prep for children ages 8-16 years old

Tuesday, 5:00 – 7:00 PM
Monday, 6:00 – 8:00 PM ONLINE

For intermediate and advanced Mandarin speakers, students will sharpen and further advance their language proficiency through a tailored, student-centered learning approach within a dynamic classroom environment. The class will prepare students for the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), an international standardized test for students applying for scholarship, future admissions in international schools and potential employment requiring Chinese language proficiency in China. Students will be divided into small groups based on current language level and age to work towards achieving fluency in conversation with native speakers, reading and writing comprehensive essays on various subject matters as well as the ability to read Chinese newspapers with ease. By the end of the year, students are expected to master between 1,200 and 2,500 characters and be thoroughly prepared for the HSK and YCT examinations.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week.

Pricing:
For returning students: $1,560 with early bird discount*
*$1,560 → $1,660 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students:  $1,610 with early bird discount*
*$1,610 → $1,710 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start on September 17, 2024 (Tuesday) or September 16, 2024 (Monday). 

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Tuesday
5:00 - 7:00 PM
Monday
6:00 - 8:00 PM

AFTER SCHOOL CLASSES (Upper East Side Location)
151 East 65th Street, New York, NY 10065

Toddler (2-4 years old) – UES Location

Friday, 4:00 – 5:30 PM
Saturday, 9:30 – 11:30 AM

Chinese for toddlers ages 2 to 4 features classes taught using a theme-based curriculum, where students are fully immersed in Chinese language through songs, games and interactive activities. By the end of the course, students will develop basic understanding of Chinese, as well as communication and social skills.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week.

Pricing:
Friday (1.5 hours)
For returning students: $1,185 with early bird discount*
*$1,185 → $1,285 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students: $1,235 with early bird discount*
*$1,235 →  $1,335 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Saturday (2 hours)
For returning students: $1,560 with early bird discount*
*$1,560 → $1,660 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students:  $1,610 with early bird discount*
*$1,610 → $1,710 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start on September 13, 2024 (Friday) or September 14, 2024 (Saturday).

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Friday
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 – 11:00 AM
Prep + STEAM: for Children ages 5 to 10 years old – UES Location

Day: Friday
Time: 4:00 – 5:30 PM  

By engaging in hands-on activities, students are divided into small groups of similar age and language levels to explore STEAM through an interactive approach, building language skills and expressing ideas in Mandarin Chinese. Scientific and artistic inventions and discoveries in China, such as papermaking and navigation, are also integrated into the curriculum. Using a theme-based curriculum, students will participate in a series of engaging and interactive age-appropriate activities, games, songs, etc. In addition to listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, students will also develop social skills and strengthen their study habits.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week.

Pricing:
For returning students: $1,185 with early bird discount*
$1,185 → $1,285 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students: $1,235 with early bird discount*
$1,235 →  $1,335 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start September 13, 2024 (Friday).

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Friday
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Intensive Literacy 3: for children ages 5 to 11 – UES Location

Day: Saturday
Time: 9:30 – 11:30 AM

Focus is placed on writing skills, while continuing to advance students’ conversational competence. Classes meet for 2 hours a week, allowing for intensive study in an immersive Chinese language environment. With a dynamic, interactive, and student-centered approach, our small-sized classes are guided by a theme-based curriculum where students learn characters based on frequency of use and complexity. In addition to building students’ conversational skills through a variety of age-appropriate topics, this Intensive Literacy class builds a solid foundation for literacy, leading to a high-level proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing, in addition to a more thorough understanding of Chinese culture. At the end of Intensive Literacy 1, students will be able to read age-appropriate stories independently and write paragraphs and short essays in Chinese.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week.

Pricing
For returning students: $1,560 with early bird discount*
*$1,560 → $1,660 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students:  $1,610 with early bird discount*
*$1,610 → $1,710 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start on September 14, 2024 (Saturday).

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Saturday
9:30 - 11:30 AM
Advanced Mandarin: HSK, YCT Test Prep for children ages 8-16 years old – UES Location

Day: Friday
Time: 5:00 – 7:00 PM  

For intermediate and advanced Mandarin speakers, students will sharpen and further advance their language proficiency through a tailored, student-centered learning approach within a dynamic classroom environment. The class will prepare students for the Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK), an international standardized test for students applying for scholarship, future admissions in international schools and potential employment requiring Chinese language proficiency in China. Students will be divided into small groups based on current language level and age to work towards achieving fluency in conversation with native speakers, reading and writing comprehensive essays on various subject matters as well as the ability to read Chinese newspapers with ease. By the end of the year, students are expected to master between 1,200 and 2,500 characters and be thoroughly prepared for the HSK and YCT examinations.

Each semester consists of 15 sessions. Classes are held once a week.

Pricing:
For returning students: $1,560 with early bird discount*
*$1,560 → $1,660 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024
For new students:  $1,610 with early bird discount*
*$1,610 → $1,710 per semester after early bird discount ends on September 2, 2024

Tuition includes a $50 non-refundable registration fee.

Classes start on September 13, 2024 (Friday). 

For any assistance with registration, please contact Angela Chen at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

Registration

Friday
5:00 - 7:00 PM

About Our Programs

The School of Chinese Studies at China Institute in America provides insightful, stimulating, and time-tested educational programs that enable students of all ages to develop their understanding and appreciation of China.

We believe early exposure to Chinese language and culture can tremendously benefit children’s cognitive, social, and emotional growth. Our education programs are designed to build a solid foundation for children to develop linguistic skills, strengthen cross-cultural competence, and pursue life with an open mind.

Afterschool Mandarin Enrichment

Meeting once a week, students in Afterschool Mandarin enrichment classes are greatly exposed to Chinese language and culture. For those who have studied Chinese, the enrichment classes deepen their connection with Chinese culture, and provide more rigorous practice in a small-classroom setting. Classes are available for students of all ages and language levels. We have classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays at the Downtown location. Online options are available.

Intensive Literacy 

Aiming for fluency in speaking, reading and writing Chinese in the future? Intensive Literacy classes are for students at all levels working towards mastering Chinese language, and perfect for speakers of Chinese at home, and students looking to take the next step in enhancing their Chinese language studies. Designed to target student’s reading and writing abilities, Intensive Literacy curriculum uses the same textbooks as Chinese students at top schools in China. We offer introductory, intermediate, and advanced literacy classes. Literacy classes are offered on Wednesdays and Sundays at our DT location, and Saturdays at our UES location. Online offerings are available.

Mandarin Munchkins and Toddler 

Early exposure to a foreign language has been proven to dramatically improve a child’s aptitude for the language long-term. Give your child the gift of early exposure and set them up for future success with our Mandarin Munchkins and Toddler classes. These classes focus on the basics of early childhood development, including improvement of children’s social, emotional, cognitive and motor skills in an immersive and interactive learning environment. Our early childhood education specialists engage students through hands-on activities, story-telling, music, and educational games.

Classes follow the academic school-semester from September 2024 to June 2025. 

For every class, there will be a short break time, so please bring some light snack and a water bottle. Please kindly note that China Institute in America is a nut-free environment, and we appreciate your cooperation!


Have a question? Please contact Angela Chen, at achen@chinainstitute.org or call (212) 744-8181, ext. 143.

FAQs

Please note

  • Textbooks for Intensive Literacy classes are not included in tuition and are available for purchase at China Institute in America.
  • We run small-sized classes. Registration will be closed when a class is full.
  • Class schedules are subject to change. A class will be canceled or rescheduled if registration is low.

More About the School

Founded in 1933, the School was the first China-focused educational center in the United States, and was chartered in 1944 by the Board of Regents of the New York State Department of Education. Today, the School’s comprehensive slate of courses fosters a life-long learning community for anyone looking to learn more about China’s language, art, culture, history, people, and society. For more than 80 years, the School has also lead the identification, development, application, and dissemination of best practices for teaching Chinese language and culture in K-12 classrooms throughout New York City.

When introducing children to Chinese language and culture, we inspire their creative minds through experiential learning and play. Our early childhood education experts have created an early school year curriculum that develops an enduring interest in a multi-cultural world through activities that center on meaningful activities in a child’s everyday life.

For children old enough to learn in a more systematic and structured way, we provide rigorous instruction that provides them with a solid command of oral and written Chinese language skills. Content in these courses weave in key aspects of both traditional and contemporary Chinese culture.

Our dynamic and dedicated educators are specifically trained in early childhood education and in teaching Chinese as a second language and are devoted to furthering the personal growth of each and every student. Students enjoy instruction in the Institute’s state-of-the-art Lower Manhattan facility, where young people are introduced to China and develop a lifelong interest in one of the world’s oldest and richest cultures.

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