Small class size is a hallmark of Planet Han. We believe that smaller classes will maximize individual attention from our talented teachers.
Typical lesson routine: [“Talk” component of MAT occurs during the entire class]
Greeting and Names [Hello Song]
Attendance and Weather
4 tones (Pinyin Alphabet)
Review of previous classes
Model: New Vocabulary and Sentence Structure
Act: Movement/Games/Songs
Story Time/Writing
Goodbye Song/Class Dismissal Routine
Han Baby and Little Han classes each have one level and students must accompanied by an adult.
Beg means Beginners, Int means Intermediate and Adv means Advanced.
For example, Explorer 3-5 Beg means 3 to 5 year old beginners. If you are uncertain about which class to enroll your child, please contact us for advice!
Click on the class to get its description. Click again to close the section:
Must be accompanied by an adult; bring a baby blanket
Classes include songs and sensory exercises to stimulate your baby’s ears and provide exposure to the unique sounds and tones of Mandarin. We sing songs about colors, shapes, directions and much more. The class provides 100% immersion in Mandarin. While this may be challenging to parents and caregivers at first, it will quickly become second nature. Why start so young? Starting young is critical as research shows that younger children have superior capacity to develop native pronunciation in a new language and are better equipped to develop advanced levels of proficiencies in one or more languages. At the end of each class, you will learn basic phrases that you can repeat to your baby, such as “good night”, “I love you” or “Are you ready for fun today?”.
Must be accompanied by an adult
The class is designed for 100% immersion in Mandarin. Little Hans are always busy but they are always listening! They learn topics related to themselves and learn basic concepts such as numbers and colors through songs, movement and colorful visuals. To engage them, we pack the class with a lot of stimulation to make learning Mandarin fun! We overlay Chinese lyrics onto familiar English preschool songs so the children focus on learning the words.
This class is designed for children with little or no experience with Mandarin. Our Explorers use songs, movement and colorful visuals to make learning Mandarin fun! Children learn self-introduction, weather reporting, basic greetings and expressions. We sing popular English school songs with Chinese lyrics so the children pay attention to learning the words. Group interaction is encouraged through activities such as birthday celebrations and daily familiar routines.
This class is designed for kids with some experience in Mandarin. Build upon what they already knew, now they are ready to learn to speak longer sentences. Children learn self-introduction, weather reporting, basic greetings and expressions. It is critical to establish a strong foundation in the tones of Mandarin. In each class we introduce and practice a new sound and the four basic Mandarin tones.
Our experienced Explorers are challenged by Mandarin immersion where no English is spoken. We keep the class fun by introducing more physical movement such as acting and dancing. We increase usage of instructional phrases and practice listening to directions and commands. In each class, we learn 8-10 new words and learn increasingly complex sentence and question structures.
This class is designed for children with little or no experience with Mandarin. These Commanders are sociable and enjoy seeing their friends each week just like in regular school. The classes cover topics such as school, cities and the world with a focus on math, nature and science. Our teachers encourage and motivate these Commanders to speak in Mandarin. We spend 20 minutes “Table Time” to learn radicals, tone marks, craft, and basic writing strokes.
This class is designed for kids with some experience in Mandarin. Building upon what they have previously learned, they are ready to learn to speak and construct longer sentences. In each class, we use more advanced movement games to introduce new vocabulary and more complex sentence and question structures. Our Commanders start writing simple Chinese characters with special attention to stroke order. Light homework and occasional quizzes are given.
Our experienced Commanders are challenged by Mandarin immersion where no English is spoken. They interact with each other in Mandarin and have a degree of fluency and spontaneity. We begin each class by inviting students to introduce themselves and interview their classmates. They compose longer sentences and questions with Pinyin notations. The children enhance their speaking skills through show and tell, book report, situational conversations, poem recitations and story composition.
This class is designed for children with little or no experience with Mandarin. This class is taught using a more traditional approach. These Challengers focus on building confidence in speaking and writing Mandarin Chinese at home and in public settings. We celebrate both Chinese and American special occasions including Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese New Year, Halloween and Holiday seasons. We spend 25 minutes “Table Time” to learn radicals, tone marks, craft, and writing simple Chinese characters.
This class is designed for kids with some experience in Mandarin. This class is taught using a more traditional approach and a textbook may be used to supplement our teaching. They learn to construct longer and more complex sentences using word games, storytelling and ancient poetry to enhance their speaking skills. Students design their own Chinese journal to showcase their progress.
Our experienced Challengers are challenged by Mandarin immersion where no English is spoken. Students are expected to engage smoothly in Chinese dialogue. They can communicate with confidence about daily events and other topics of interest to them. This class is taught using a more approach and a textbook may be used to supplement our teaching. In every class, we feature our Essential Conversation where students practice speaking and acting!
Why should your child take this half an hour class? By knowing pinyin, your child can pronounce Chinese on his own and be able to type Chinese on a computer. Pinyin is a bridge between spoken and written Chinese. We teach each vocabulary with pinyin and Chinese characters simultaneously. This class is highly recommended for students who are already taking conversational Chinese. This class can be taken alone or in addition to our group classes.
Learning how to write a new character is like learning how to reach an unfamiliar yet exciting destination; if you always follow the same route, you will soon know the way. Correct stroke count and stroke order produce recognizable characters. Most importantly, it assists in effective memorization. We explain radicals, establish proper writing habits and posture, correct stroke orders and create sentences and even paragraphs! We tailor the writing exercise and instructions to fit your child’s needs and level. Instructions are given in English.
Lab Hours:
Sundays: 11:30am – 2pm (173 W81 Street NY NY 10024 lower level)
Fee: $10 per child per half an hour (pay as you come or purchase block of time upfront)
