EtonHouse Zhong Hua Pre-School

What Makes EtonHouse Zhong Hua Special?

EtonHouse Zhong Hua is the first childcare centre in Singapore to offer an inquiry-based curriculum delivered exclusively in Mandarin for children from Pre-Nursery to Kindergarten (18 months to 6 years of age). 

Mandarin is increasingly an important communication tool for global citizens — it is the most spoken language in the world and China is one of the world’s largest economies. While Mandarin is offered as a Mother Tongue Language in local primary schools, children are usually exposed to the language for only about an hour a day. For children who come from a predominantly English-speaking home, it might not be sufficient to spark interest, much less pick up the language effectively. 

EtonHouse Zhong Hua offers an exclusively Mandarin-speaking environment delivered by language teachers from China, Taiwan, and Singapore with professional qualifications in early childhood. The early exposure makes it natural for children to think and speak in Mandarin. Over time, they build positive and lasting relationships with the language and culture.

ZhongHua Mandarin Immersion

We follow an inquiry-based curriculum that is inspired by the Reggio Emilia Project. With a strong focus on observing and listening, our educators tailor challenging learning experiences to support each child’s ideas, interests, and theories. 

Compared to other EtonHouse Pre-Schools, there is a greater emphasis on developing Mandarin literacy skills at EtonHouse Zhong Hua. In the younger years, we focus on acquiring listening and speaking skills. As the children get older, we build up sentence structure, vocabulary, and eventually, reading and writing. This is achieved naturally through our inquiry-based approach as children get accustomed to thinking and communicating in Mandarin across all domains such as arts, numeracy, and play.

Cultural Appreciation 

We don’t just want to lay a strong foundation for our students to take on Mandarin in the Primary Years and beyond — we want them to develop a genuine love for the language. We do so by encouraging them to experience the rich and beautiful Chinese culture through fun activities like Chinese painting or calligraphy, watching traditional music and dance performances, and celebrating festivals.