The Early Years program is designed as a music enrichment class for preschool children aged 3 to 6 years to experience with their parents or caregivers. It is offered at three Early Years Centers in China: at our home campus in Binhai, Tianjin, and now also in Shunyi, Beijing and Minhang, Shanghai.

The curriculum is collaboratively designed by music education experts from both China and the United States and incorporates various aspects of renowned musical pedagogies including Orff, Dalcroze, and Kodaly, among others. The content includes singing, playing, dancing, active listening, inner hearing, and music improvisation. Through diverse musical activities, this program aims to inspire children's interest in music, cultivate their self-confidence, physical coordination, memory, and concentration, and enhance their deeper understanding and appreciation of music.

Music Literacy: Building Musical Cognition and Creativity

Music Literacy focuses on building a structured musical cognition system through a progressive learning approach to musical elements. Students start by developing an awareness of fundamental rhythmic patterns and pitch relationships, gradually learning to read and write professional notation systems such as the staff and rhythm syllables. Students develop an understanding of time signatures and complex rhythmic structures.

Vocal Singing: Refining Musical Expression and Collaborative Skills

This component focuses on nurturing children’s vocal expressiveness, using songs as a medium for comprehensive musical development. Starting with group singing of simple melodies, students gradually improve their pitch accuracy and rhythmic stability while learning fundamental techniques for dynamic control, tempo variation, and emotional expression.

Little Orchestra: Developing Instrumental Skills and Ensemble Awareness

The instrumental component uses percussion instruments to develop a structured path of “exploration–foundation– creativity” in performance skills. Children begin with free exploration of instrument timbres, gradually learning fundamental playing techniques and the logic of sound combinations, ultimately progressing to multi-part ensemble playing and the practical application of musical notation.

At Early Years Centers across China, classes run for 60 minutes each week during the school year (schedules and tuition vary by location). Each semester includes 15 class days and one make-up day. The Fall semester runs from September to January, and the Spring semester runs from February to June.

Binhai, Tianjin

Location: Tianjin Juilliard School
Class times: Sunday
-    9:30-10:30 (age 3-4, 5-6)
-    10:30-11:30 (age 4-5)
-    14:00-15:00 (age 5-6)

Tuition: RMB 4,500 per semester (15 classes)

Please scan QR code to apply for learning at Tianjin Early Years Center.

Shunyi, Beijing

Location: British School of Beijing, Shunyi District, Beijing
Class time: Saturday 
-    9:30-10:30 (age 4-5)
-    10:30-11:30 (age 3-4)
-    11:30-12:30 (age 5-6)

Tuition: RMB 6,000 per semester (15 weeks). 
* All three Nord Anglia Schools in Beijing are eligible for additional discounts. Please contact us on WeCom for further information.

Please scan QR code to apply for learning at Beijing Early Years Center.

Minhang, Shanghai

Location: Nord Anglia Chinese International School, Minhang District, Shanghai
Class time: Saturday
-    10:00-11:00 (age 4-5)
-    11:00-12:00 (age 5-6)

Tuition: RMB 6,000 per semester (15 weeks).
* NACIS community members are eligible for additional discounts. Please contact us on WeCom for further information.

Please scan QR code to apply for learning at Shanghai Early Years Center.
 

For more information about the curriculum please scan the QR code to add the Public Education WeCom.