“I originally created the school in 2008, for my first daughter, Arwyn, who is now turning 16,” recalls Sarah Liu, the owner and founder of the Ya Ya Preschool. The program, originally known as “Mandarin Seeds,” began in Ms. Liu’s apartment, “then we grew into yoga studios,” she recalls. “It became so popular that we rented space in Gymboree on Reade Street, and then moved into our own space on Warren Street, with two classrooms.”
The original school transitioned to online learning during the pandemic, “but now we are moving back to an in-person model, and accepting applications for the Ya Ya Preschool,” a Mandarin immersion program, which will open in July at 291 Broadway.
“Ya Ya means ‘sprouting,’” Ms. Liu says, “which describes us, because this is a nursery program that will prepare toddlers for kindergarten, especially in private school.”
The new space at 291 Broadway has five classrooms and a library of 1,000 Chinese books. It will be an environment where only Mandarin is spoken. “The immersion environment becomes an invisible teacher,” Ms. Liu explains. “We are the only school that offers this program. All the others are bi-lingual.”
“Most students, even if they come from a Chinese family, don’t speak Mandarin at home,” Ms. Liu says. “About one-third speak no Mandarin. Another third speak some, such as, for example, with a grandparent. And another third come from families that speak Mandarin fluently.”
“We will have two teachers per classroom, with class sizes limited to between 12 and 15 students,” she notes, “and the whole program will be overseen by a licensed educational director, with an emphasis on art and music.”
Tuition at the Ya Ya Preschool is comparable to other preschools, Ms. Liu says, and the program follows independent school admission cycle.
“We will open in July for summer programs,” Ms. Liu says, “and we are accepting applications now for September, with rolling admissions.”
Matthew Fenton
