Best Age to Start Classes with Speech and Drama Activities
The best age for a child to start attending a class that includes Chinese speech and drama depends on their individual development. Children need to be able to follow instructions and must have developed a level of understanding of what is expected of them in order to engage in more structured activities compared to a toddler-age programme.
These milestones usually occur between four and five years old. By four years old, children can think independently, collaborate constructively with peers (for example, they are more comfortable sharing toys and playing together positively) and solve more complex problems. They can understand and use basic words in Mandarin to express their feelings, such as ‘happy’, ‘sad’, ‘excited’, ‘scared’ and ‘angry’. They have the ability to relate to how others are feeling. They are also more likely to demonstrate affection or sympathy towards others (including animals) if they perceive someone as upset or sad.
Once these emotional, cognitive, and social skills begin to flourish, they will serve as a springboard for further development during a Mandarin class that includes speech and drama activities.
View our Foundation Years Programmes for children 3 to 4 years old:
View our School Years Programmes for children 7 to 12 years old:
View our School Years Programmes for children 7 to 12 years old:
Learn Through Play with Engaging Speech and Drama Activities
A quality Chinese speech and drama class in Singapore typically includes the following activities:- Physical warm-up game
- Vocal warm-ups
- Speech exercises
- A story, poem, or nursery rhyme
- Drama-based activities (age-appropriate role-play, improvisation, original or scripted drama, presentations)
and depending on the duration craft work, drawing, or writing practice may be included.
The main objective of Chinese enrichment classes is to improve children’s language skills in relevant and enjoyable ways that boost their ability to communicate accurately, effectively, expressively, and confidently in Mandarin.
Benefits of Chinese Speech and Drama Classes
Chengzhu offers Mandarin enrichment classes in Singapore which include drama-based activities, allowing children to practise using vocabulary and idioms and deepen their understanding of language in context. You can expect your four to five-year-old child who participates in a Mandarin enrichment class that involves speech and drama activities to progressively:- Understand basic Mandarin words and phrases related to everyday objects, actions, and routines
- Produce and speak simple Mandarin words and phrases related to their environment
- Use short, simple sentences to express basic thoughts and ideas
- Demonstrate an ability to imitate sounds and tones correctly
- Ask and respond to simple questions e.g. What is this? Where is it?
- Demonstrate the ability to engage in a simple conversation with peers
- Be able to follow simple instructions given to them in Mandarin
- Join in singing songs and rhymes in Mandarin
Immersing children in activities as early as possible that stimulate their curiosity, imagination and desire to participate will help them develop a strong foundation in language learning. A well-designed, child-centric curriculum will enable children to progressively build vocabulary, pronunciation and language comprehension skills while also exploring their curiosity and creativity developing their confidence to speak Mandarin.