Yu Ying - advice please

[Anonymous]

We got a spot in the lottery and I'm having cold feet. We are at a Montessori charter school that we really love. I really like the Montessori approach to learning, the teachers are amazing, and the overall school community is warm, welcoming, and diverse. The test scores are appealing at YY, but is it a place that fosters intellectual curiosity and kindness? I'm worried we're focusing too much on the test scores and the fact that YY is a DCI feeder. And I've been told that kids who don't thrive at YY are those who struggle with the language, but how can one tell how a 4yo will handle language immersion?

Thank you in advance!

[Anonymous]

If you're not serious about the child learning to speak, understand, read and write Mandarin, and continuing with Mandarin into the teenage years, I'd stay where you are. Far too many YY kids don't speak or understand remotely decent Mandarin after 4, 5 or 6 years in the program, and their reading skills (in English) don't knock it out of the park either.

If your kid is musical, chances are good that she'll be a strong language learning, particularly with a tonal language. Good luck with your choice.

[Anonymous]

From your post it sounds like you are not serious about your child learning Mandarin in particular, so for that reason much more than PP's I'd agree: stay where you are. If you know you like where you are, and Yu Ying isn't where you're dying to be, why would you move?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We got a spot in the lottery and I'm having cold feet. We are at a Montessori charter school that we really love. I really like the Montessori approach to learning, the teachers are amazing, and the overall school community is warm, welcoming, and diverse. The test scores are appealing at YY, but is it a place that fosters intellectual curiosity and kindness? I'm worried we're focusing too much on the test scores and the fact that YY is a DCI feeder. And I've been told that kids who don't thrive at YY are those who struggle with the language, but how can one tell how a 4yo will handle language immersion?

Thank you in advance!

Unless you're able to support the language, I would personally *not* enroll my child in a Mandarin immersion school simply based on good test scores. When we played the lottery, we put down several language immersion options because we can support French and Spanish at home. We left out YY since we can't support it. Our child is entering an immersion school next year, and it's a serious commitment that we're preparing for now.

[Anonymous]

We made this choice last year. We stayed and haven't looked back. YY is a great school but we weren't committed enough to Mandarin to make it worth our while.

[Anonymous]

OP here -- this is helpful. From what I understand, many of the parents at Yu Ying don't speak Mandarin, so what do people mean by supporting the language? I grew up learning a language at school that neither of my parents spoke, and didn't feel like that was a set back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- this is helpful. From what I understand, many of the parents at Yu Ying don't speak Mandarin, so what do people mean by supporting the language? I grew up learning a language at school that neither of my parents spoke, and didn't feel like that was a set back.

Seems to me the previous posts were pretty clear OP. It's not simply about "supporting" the language from a point of view speaking it - it's clear from your original post that you aren't particularly committed to or focused on your child learning Mandarin. Part of "supporting" your child learning it is valuing it and focusing on it as a goal for your child in a way that goes beyond simply "Oh, we got in, they have decent reading scores".

There are lots and lots of families at Yu Ying who don't have any Mandarin-speakers in the home. Some kids do well anyway, others do fine, others not as well. But that's not the point most above are making. Most are making the point that if you're ambivalent about Mandarin, don't go to Yu Ying. Stay where you are where you know you're happy.

[Anonymous]

Neither my husband or I speak Mandarin, but we support our child by taking her to additional Chinese cultural events on the weekends, setting up play dates with native speakers and encourage her to speak only in Chinese on the play dates, and have screen time be only in Chinese.

Sometimes, it sucks...but it's a commitment. If you are not willing to be dedicated to it...pass to another parent who really wants it.

[Anonymous]

21:10 here. Other things families do who "support" the language include learning some of it (if they don't speak it fluently) to converse at home or help with HW, summer language camps to minimize "summer slide," vacations to places where the locals speak the language, cartoons in the language, etc.

I was just talking to neighbors who've had their kids in an immersion school for years. They told me they regretted not having their kids in summer language camps early on, as one of them in particular would have benefitted from it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:21:10 here. Other things families do who "support" the language include learning some of it (if they don't speak it fluently) to converse at home or help with HW, summer language camps to minimize "summer slide," vacations to places where the locals speak the language, cartoons in the language, etc.

I was just talking to neighbors who've had their kids in an immersion school for years. They told me they regretted not having their kids in summer language camps early on, as one of them in particular would have benefitted from it.

P.S. And this is a family where one parent speaks the language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- this is helpful. From what I understand, many of the parents at Yu Ying don't speak Mandarin, so what do people mean by supporting the language? I grew up learning a language at school that neither of my parents spoke, and didn't feel like that was a set back.

Seems to me the previous posts were pretty clear OP. It's not simply about "supporting" the language from a point of view speaking it - it's clear from your original post that you aren't particularly committed to or focused on your child learning Mandarin. Part of "supporting" your child learning it is valuing it and focusing on it as a goal for your child in a way that goes beyond simply "Oh, we got in, they have decent reading scores".

There are lots and lots of families at Yu Ying who don't have any Mandarin-speakers in the home. Some kids do well anyway, others do fine, others not as well. But that's not the point most above are making. Most are making the point that if you're ambivalent about Mandarin, don't go to Yu Ying. Stay where you are where you know you're happy.

This is what charter critics call a barrier to entry. Pull up that drawbridge when you go into that castle, why don't you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- this is helpful. From what I understand, many of the parents at Yu Ying don't speak Mandarin, so what do people mean by supporting the language? I grew up learning a language at school that neither of my parents spoke, and didn't feel like that was a set back.

Seems to me the previous posts were pretty clear OP. It's not simply about "supporting" the language from a point of view speaking it - it's clear from your original post that you aren't particularly committed to or focused on your child learning Mandarin. Part of "supporting" your child learning it is valuing it and focusing on it as a goal for your child in a way that goes beyond simply "Oh, we got in, they have decent reading scores".

There are lots and lots of families at Yu Ying who don't have any Mandarin-speakers in the home. Some kids do well anyway, others do fine, others not as well. But that's not the point most above are making. Most are making the point that if you're ambivalent about Mandarin, don't go to Yu Ying. Stay where you are where you know you're happy.

This is what charter critics call a barrier to entry. Pull up that drawbridge when you go into that castle, why don't you?

What a load of hooey. An actual "barrier to entry" comes when you can NOT GET IN because of some policy or attitude. If OP actually has a spot or is likely to get one and then gets in, nothing said on DCUM can stop her/him from taking their spot.

Nice try, but learn a little about what you pretend to know about before trying to make people feel bad about the very real advice they're giving. OP can ignore it or take it, although from all the families I know at YY I'd say it's great advice and anyone not committed in a big way to that language should pass.

[Anonymous]

Yu Ying parent here.

We love the school. No Chinese at home. No extra support. That was never the idea for us, as I think that nobody will ever learn a language by just going to an immersion school. But being at Yu Ying gives the kids the opportunity to develop an ear for Chinese (tonal language -- completely different from Spanish!). If they want to really learn it later, they will have an easier time and will be able to speak it like a native. Plus a second (or third or fourth) language is good for brain development.

Also: don't ask on DCUM for advice on enrolling. You don't know their agenda when they answer. A lot of people saying "Don't" could be on the waiting list waiting for a spot to become available..

[Anonymous]

When I faced a similar decision, I reached out to friends at YY who were amazing to connect and assure me to the levels of ability to support Mandarin. Everyone was amazing. YY has a wonderful and long established record, a solid as a rock admin, and a defined feeder. I, at the end of the day, got spooked by supporting Mandarin. I didn't have the core need for bilingualism (Mandarin aside). I could have supported French or Spanish at home, but just couldn't trade the bird in a hand that I felt we had. I haven't regretted so far. But that's my family. No anonymous message board can square this for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here -- this is helpful. From what I understand, many of the parents at Yu Ying don't speak Mandarin, so what do people mean by supporting the language? I grew up learning a language at school that neither of my parents spoke, and didn't feel like that was a set back.

Seems to me the previous posts were pretty clear OP. It's not simply about "supporting" the language from a point of view speaking it - it's clear from your original post that you aren't particularly committed to or focused on your child learning Mandarin. Part of "supporting" your child learning it is valuing it and focusing on it as a goal for your child in a way that goes beyond simply "Oh, we got in, they have decent reading scores".

There are lots and lots of families at Yu Ying who don't have any Mandarin-speakers in the home. Some kids do well anyway, others do fine, others not as well. But that's not the point most above are making. Most are making the point that if you're ambivalent about Mandarin, don't go to Yu Ying. Stay where you are where you know you're happy.

This is what charter critics call a barrier to entry. Pull up that drawbridge when you go into that castle, why don't you?

What a load of hooey. An actual "barrier to entry" comes when you can NOT GET IN because of some policy or attitude. If OP actually has a spot or is likely to get one and then gets in, nothing said on DCUM can stop her/him from taking their spot.

Nice try, but learn a little about what you pretend to know about before trying to make people feel bad about the very real advice they're giving. OP can ignore it or take it, although from all the families I know at YY I'd say it's great advice and anyone not committed in a big way to that language should pass.

I would say shunning a family because they're ambivalent about Mandarin is an attitude. IF the 'acceptable' pool for YY is the say 25% of families in DC who would be really interested in Chinese language / culture, then you're selecting for a pretty elite group.