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Founded in 2005, the Morgan Rothschild Academy operates as an early childhood education program based in Shanghai, China. Of the 60 students who currently attend the Morgan Rothschild Academy, all are between the ages of 18 months and 6 years old. Furthermore, many of the students are the children of executives who work for Global Fortune 500 companies such as General Motors, Goldman Sachs, Volkswagen, and Google. At the academy, kindergarteners, toddlers, and pre-schoolers receive instruction in a variety of curriculum that includes High Scope educational materials, as well as those provided by Pearson Publishing. While the program is headquartered in China, 70 percent of the instructions are given in English. The other 30 percent are provided in Chinese. In addition to its involvement in early childhood education, the academy is also an active supporter of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai (AmCham). In 2011 and 2012, the school was one of the top three sponsors at AmCham’s annual Fourth of July celebrations.

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Early Bilingual Education Offers Lifelong Benefits

Based in Shanghai, Morgan Rothschild Academy offers a strong early childhood education program, which promotes students’ intellectual, social, physical, and emotional growth. By offering instruction in both English and Chinese, Morgan Rothschild Academy gives children the many advantages offered by learning more than one language early in life. Bilingual language skills can lead to distinct educational benefits, along with other practical advantages. According to research studies, bilingual students often perform higher on tests measuring creative and problem-solving abilities. In addition, some bilingual children develop stronger reading skills earlier on, since they may have a deeper understanding of language usage than their peers. In addition, people who are able to speak two languages are better equipped to acquire more languages over time. Individuals who speak more than one language often have access to greater job opportunities. Children who are bilingual may develop stronger socialization skills and display a willingness to play and interact with a broader circle of their peers. As an added benefit, speaking more than one language can inspire an individual to be more culturally aware throughout his or her lifetime.

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What Parents Should Consider when Evaluating Early Education Programs

Based in Shanghai, China, Morgan Rothschild Academy provides quality early childhood education for children between the ages of 2 and 5 years old. During the application process, Morgan Rothschild Academy encourages parents and children to visit its facility. When looking at educational environments for their young children, parents should evaluate several factors to determine if the program is a good fit. First, parents should seek to learn about the program’s philosophy, as well as gain understanding about its practices regarding communications and parental involvement. In addition, parents should find out about the background and qualifications of teachers and staff members and determine if the program provides opportunities for children to engage in active play that supports development of fine and gross motor skills. Depending on the length of the program day, parents should also understand whether meals, naps, and snacks are part of the schedule. Parents may also benefit from asking school officials for references from other parents.

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Dual Language Learning in Infants and Toddlers

At Morgan Rothschild Academy in Shanghai, China, children from 18 months through 6 years of age learn in a nurturing bilingual environment. Morgan Rothschild Academy conducts 70% of the class instruction in English and 30% in Chinese to help children develop familiarity with both languages. Because the brains of babies and toddlers are by nature more impressionable than those of older children, bilingual facility develops more easily at this time than at any other stage of life. Research shows that when very young children hear two languages in equal measure, their brains begin to distinguish the pitches, rhythms, and construction of each tongue. A 2013 study at the University of British Columbia suggests that this process of learning leads bilingual children to differentiate grammatical structures in languages, thus helping them to differentiate and process two methods of speech. Even within the first year of life, bilingual children show with gaze and body language that they are able to recognize and focus on two different language structures. Monolingual children, by contrast, do not appear to notice differences in word order, possibly because their environment does not require them to process two different types of syntax. Studies suggest that this type of context learning takes precedence over specific word learning as children advance through toddlerhood.                            

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The Importance of Early Childhood Education

Located in Shanghai, China, the Morgan Rothschild Academy offers early childhood education by educators who are alumni of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dedicated to enhancing development in the early stages of a child’s life, the Morgan Rothschild Academy establishes a welcoming environment that fosters creativity and inquisitiveness. Integral to cognitive and personal development, early childhood education helps children establish a firm foundation for building strong moral, social, and intellectual skills as well as self-esteem. Before the age of eight, a child’s brain develops at a fast rate, and he or she is able to absorb information quickly and efficiently. Therefore, challenging children during these years is critical to their future academic and life success. Early childhood education relies heavily on hands-on instruction. Creating an environment where a child can learn from experience is the key to achieving curriculum objectives. The use of crafts, educational games, and exercises is common. In addition, storytelling is an effective method for communicating lessons and morals. It also stimulates a child’s mind by sparking curiosity and imagination.

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Two-way Communication in Preschools

At Morgan Rothschild Academy in Shanghai, China, children from 18 months to 6 years of age receive bilingual instruction in a curriculum developed by early childhood education experts. To give children the best chance at success in this program, Morgan Rothschild Academy founder Morgan Huang emphasizes the importance of two-way communication with parents. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in the United States, two-way communication means that teachers and families engage in a continuous dialogue about a child's school experience. Two-way communication depends on a relationship, so face-to-face communication is crucial. This requires effort on the part of the school to schedule meetings at a time when parents can attend. Some schools also choose to host informal gatherings, friendly home visits, or field trips to parents' places of work. The two-way relationship can continue with phone and e-mail conversations. Many schools make a point of calling or e-mailing with good news about the child's progress or enjoyment of school as well as with any concerns. Parents should know that they are welcome to leave messages with their child's teacher and should understand the teacher's system for returning calls. When everyone knows how communication works between school and home, both parties are more likely to receive the information that they need to nurture each child's growth.

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Schoolchildren Visit Tony's Farm in Shanghai

At Morgan Rothschild Academy, children from more than 15 countries receive instruction in both Chinese and English. The school strives to provide a firm educational and developmental foundation for students from the ages of 18 months to six years, drawing from the curricula of High/Scope-Pearson and the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. Morgan Rothschild Academy also organizes field trips to educational locations throughout Shanghai, such as Tony’s Farm. Established in 2005, Tony’s Farm was one of the first organic farms in Shanghai. Its founder, Tony Zhang Tonggui, was a successful owner of Sichuan restaurants. When he grew wary of the quality of the produce served at his establishments, he decided to create an organic farm. In addition to the initial Tony’s Farm site in the Pudong district of Shanghai, he also maintains an additional location on Chongming Island. The farm’s packing rooms and offices are onsite at the Shanghai location. Built using recycled shipping containers, the structure exemplifies the farm’s dedication to sustainability. Tony’s Farm provides weekly deliveries to residences throughout the city, in addition to selling produce at local restaurants and supermarkets. Currently providing around 100 different varieties of fruits and vegetables, the farm serves more than 10,000 families and will soon begin selling organic meat.

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MRA Director Morgan Huang’s Educational Philosophy

Established nearly a decade ago in Shanghai, the Morgan Rothschild Academy (MRA) offers students from 18 months to six years old an internationally focused educational program. In an interview, director Morgan Huang answered a number of questions about the Morgan Rothschild Academy curriculum and his educational philosophy. Mr. Huang describes his educational philosophy as being centered on developing personal character through a combination of structured lessons and free play. Children are encouraged to develop a strong work ethic and have positive traits, such as sharing and proper hygiene, instilled in them. Mr. Huang emphasizes that teachers have extensive training in early childhood education, and are selected for their moral character. The MRA curriculum centers on providing structured education in subjects such as math, reading, and phonics, which enable students to gain entrance into sought-after primary schools. Mr. Huang emphasizes the importance of free time to play as a way of allowing children to make friendships and grow as individuals.

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Qingpu District, Shanghai, China

Founded in 2005 by early childhood educator Morgan Huang, the Morgan Rothschild Academy is one of the leading English-immersion preschools in Shanghai, China, serving young learners from the city’s international community between 1.5 and 6 years of age. Near Hongqiao International Airport in the western part of Shanghai Municipality, the Morgan Rothschild Academy is located in the Kang-Hong Garden neighborhood of Qingpu District. Qingpu District comprises nearly 10 percent of the entire Shanghai region, home to over 1 million of the region’s nearly 24 million people. Inhabited for over 5,000 years, today the Qingpu District is a major residential and industrial hub in Shanghai Municipality, stretching from the city center in the east to Taihu Lake and the provincial border in the west. Many international companies, service organizations, and schools, including the French School of Shanghai, the German School & Kindergarten, and the Montessori School of Shanghai, are located in the Qingpu District.

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What Are the Benefits of Bilingual Education?

Founded in 2005, Morgan Rothschild Academy in Shanghai, China, provides early childhood education to young children from around the globe. Morgan Rothschild Academy exposes students to two languages, English and Chinese, through bilingual instruction. Bilingual and dual language immersion programs are used in schools throughout the globe for a number of reasons. In many cases, bilingual programs are implemented in order to ensure that non-native students do not fall behind in core content areas like math and science while they learn a second language. In other instances, these types of programs are utilized to help both native and non-native speakers become bilingual and biliterate.  Numerous studies have found that bilingual education can have benefits for both second language learners and native speakers alike. In addition to improving language skills, well-designed bilingual programs can produce cognitive benefits, such as enhanced memory and problem solving skills. Students exposed to multiple languages are also more culturally aware than other students and are often better prepared for the global job market, where understanding a second language can be very beneficial.

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Five Stages of Early Childhood Play

Morgan Rothschild Academy, an early childhood learning center in Shanghai, China, emphasizes play and hands-on learning. Led by a child development specialist from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Morgan Rothschild Academy features a curriculum designed by experts from Harvard and Stanford universities. Play has a key role in the development of young children, who use play to develop their communication skills, apply their understanding of the world around them, and learn through experimentation. In the 1930s, researcher Mildred Parten discovered that children's play also has a key social component. According to Parten, play takes on one of five forms. The first, solitary play, occurs when children play independently with no acknowledgment of others around them. Parallel play occurs when children play side-by-side but do not interact. Onlooker play, by contrast, may be seen in a child that watches others play and may talk to them, but does not engage in the activity. When children begin to share their toys and converse during play, but do not organize their play together, the activity becomes associative play. When the children do coordinate their activity as a group endeavor, the play becomes cooperative. Many experts see this as a key way children develop group identity and begin to understand norms of social interaction.                             

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The Benefits of Play Time for Children

The Shanghai-based early childhood program at Morgan Rothschild Academy caters to young children aged eighteen months to six years. Through a structured program offering plenty of hands-on learning experiences and opportunities for play and creative expression, Morgan Rothschild Academy fosters healthy skill development in a caring and creative atmosphere. Studies have shown that the average amount of time in elementary schools dedicated to play in the United States has decreased over the past two decades. Yet children engaged in the act of play develop a wide range of cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and behavioral skills. The physical benefits of play are far-reaching: children engage in moderate physical activity, thus increasing health benefits. These physical activities also have the benefit of developing academic skills such as counting, learning numbers, scoring, and storytelling. In 2009, a pediatric study revealed that children exposed to at least 15 minutes of play time between academic sessions showed signs of improved behavior in the classroom. Play fosters social skills such as sharing, negotiating, empathy, and regulating emotions. Finally, the joy associated with play fosters creative development, encourages feelings of safety, and motivates children to participate and learn in the process.

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Morgan Rothschild Academy Annual Christmas Concert 2012

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Morgan Rothschild Academy Kindergarten Room News January 2013

Happy New Year! Welcome back to school with more learning and fun in the Kindergarten room at Morgan Rothschild Academy. 2013 will surely be fantastic year. Thank you to all the parents and family who attended our Annual MRA Christmas concert last month. The students worked quite hard and were thrilled to finally show it all off.

  December Fun

  It is hard to believe that December is already over at Morgan Rothschild Academy. We were so busy planning for the Christmas Concert, it just flew right by! We covered a lot of fun things, and your children are making advancements every day in their writing, reading and speaking skills.

  During journal time, we wrote using adjectives, opposite words, plural nouns and rhyming words. We talked about where animals sleep for the winter and the different animals that live in a garden. In Language Arts, we learned about and practiced using the high frequency words “my”, “like”, “he” and “for”. During our Speaking and listening lessons, the children had the opportunity to think and speak about the plot of a story and also how authors use descriptive words in their stories.

  In handwriting, we practiced writing the letters S, T and U in our best and most careful handwriting, both uppercase and lower case letters. For phonics, we focused on the sound blend “-er” and found out that it is used in so many words we know, like winter and December!

  We used our Show and Tell time to share about our favorite Christmas presents, our favorite animals and our favorite books. For arts and crafts, we made many festive items, including a Christmas wreath out of our handprints, snowmen made out of cotton balls and ornaments made out of clay. We had a really great December and are looking forward to another great month in January at Morgan Rothschild!

  In the first week of December, our class had a “shared reading” with the nursery class. The children were quite excited to get to practice their reading skills to other children. We picked out our books and practiced reading for one day before heading to the nursery room. While it might not have gone as perfectly as planned, it was a great learning experience nonetheless to practice our reading.

  Morgan Rothschild January Jams

  This month the MRA kindergarten class will continue working on sound blends, which help us with reading and writing. Along with reviewing sounds we’ve already learned, we will be focusing on “-at”, “-ou”, “-oi”, “-th” and “-in”. We will revisit different types of nouns and words that describe nouns, and begin to use verbs in our writing. We will learn how to use and read the following high frequency words: me, with, she, look, see, of, they, you. In reading we will continue using our guided reading books to learn about sentence structure and to explore new words and ideas.

  The teachers will continue to send home the small decodable readers that use new high frequency words and words that can easily be sounded out. In math, kindergartener’s will focus on telling time, learning about the different hands and what they mean.

In science we will learn about shapes, mixing colors and comparing the four seasons. We will also practice “interviewing”, as many of our students will have to have some sort of oral exam for their desired primary schools. We hope you’re looking forward to an exciting new year filled with learning at Morgan Rothschild Academy!

Please feel free to contact Ms. Lindsey or Ms. Ashley at any time!