How will my child transition from Mulberry Tree to a more traditional approach either at a local primary school or at an international school?

Although Mulberry Tree is play-based, we have a curriculum and regular assessments to ensure that learning does take place, as we support each child in their optimal development. Our curriculum is emergent and we integrate outdoor play, the arts, and other methods into learning, and thus learning is not limited to academics in the classroom. From the age of 4 our staff will gradually implement the assessments provided by the EDB so that by the time your child graduates, she possesses all the knowledge she needs to succeed in any primary school.

If continuing on with the Mulberry Tree approach is not feasible for us in the long term, is it better to not enroll at all and go directly to a traditional approach in the local system?

Your child will graduate from Mulberry Tree a confident, multilingual child who can think for himself, who can and will stand up for himself and come to you for help if he needs it. Our approach will put your child in a better position to handle any system or obstacle that life presents in her future. Indeed it is better to have a firm foundation at an earlier age when the child’s personality, character, and mental and physical development are still forming, than none at all, or at a much later age, because it sets the tone for the rest of her life. Your child will be able to adapt to the traditional environment but still know his own mind. He will have a researching mind that will keep on seeking and keep on learning, because here at Mulberry Tree, learning is part of life.

Will my child learn enough Cantonese to enter local school?

We have a multilingual environment with a diverse team of Language Facilitators that speak only in their native language to the students. We support Cantonese, Putonghua and English. Over time, because of this exposure, our students are truly multilingual. We are able to achieve this because we give the children many opportunities to listen to and speak in different languages both with the Language Facilitators and their peers. There are many proven benefits and advantages to your child becoming multilingual. They can develop more confidence and self-esteem, have more choices in terms of career and future job-opportunities, and will be able to live and adapt to different cultures when living abroad. Studies have also shown that a child’s analytical, social and literacy skills are also greatly improved when exposed to multiple languages.

Weekly Wrap-up 3-6 January