Korean preschool los angeles: Korean Daycares in Los Angeles CA
Korean Day Care & Pre-Schools :: California Listing – Kids
A great resource for our Korean American California Moms looking for Korean Day Care, Nurseries and Pre-schools. This is a directory, but we’d love to hear your reviews of any of these educational facilities!
Canaan Kindergarten/Preschool
17200 Clark Ave., Bellflower, CA 90706
Tel: 562-866-6530
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN PRESCHOOL
:: 국제기독교육대학부설유치원
5882 Beach Blvd., Buena Park, CA 90621
Tel: 714-522-0456
GOODTIME DAY CARE
:: 굳타임어린이집
23326 Lockness Ave., Harbor City, CA 90710
Tel: 310-784-0805
GRANADA HILLS DAY CARE
:: 그라나다힐스어린이동산
10580 White Oak Ave. , Granada Hills, CA 91344
Tel: 818-831-0059
GLANDALE SHARON LAUP SCHOOL
:: 글렌데일샤론어린이학교
626 N. Pacific Ave., Glendale, CA 91203
Tel: 818-244-9365
GLENDALE EVERETT CHILD CARE
:: 글렌데일에버렛어린이학교
221 N. 221 N. Everett St., Glendale, CA 91206
Tel: 818-241-0292
GLENDALE GRACE CHILD CARE CENTE
:: 글렌데일은혜어린이학교
211 S. Pacific Ave., Glendale, CA 91204
Tel: 818-242-4492
GLORIA CHRISTIAN CHILDREN CENTER
:: 글로리아크리스챤칠드런쎈타
11792 Garden Grove Bl, Garden Grove, CA 92843
Tel: 714-539-7110
KUM RAN Childrens School
:: 금란어린이학교
3153 W.
Marine Ave., Gardena, CA 90249
Tel: 310-219-1815
DREAM TREE EDUCATION CENTER
:: 꿈나무교육원
2350 W. Sepulveda Blvd. #H, Torrance, CA 90501
Tel: 310-326-1585
DREAMTREE DAY CARE CENTER
:: 꿈나무어린이집
12551 Ocean Breeze Dr., Garden Grove, CA 92841
Tel: 714-534-8840
DREAMING CHILDREN HOUSE
:: 꿈이있는 어린이집
15545 Escalona Rd, La Mirada, CA 90638
Tel: 714-228-0947
NEW HOPE DAYCARE & AFTER SCHOOL
:: 뉴호프어린이학교
15016 Escalona Rd.
, La Mirada, CA 90638
Tel: 714-994-2113
EVERGREEN DAY CARE
:: 늘푸른어린이집
15321 San Ardo Dr., La Mirada, CA 90638
Tel: 714-739-1545
PEACE LEARNING CENTER
:: 동북청강어린이학교
18555 Farjardo St., Rowland Heights, CA 91748
Tel: 626-965-9936
DDO DDO RANG CHILDCARE
:: 또또랑유아원
15414 Caulfield Ave., Norwalk, CA 90650
Tel: 562-926-8802
LIFE UNIVERSITY
:: 라이프대학
# 111, Gardena, CA 90248
Tel: 310-756-0001
LA CRESCENTA SMART MONTESSORI SCHOOL
:: 라크레센타스마트몬테소리
6401 Foothill Blvd.
, Tujunga, CA 91042
Tel: 818-446-0944
LITTLE ANGELS PRE SCHOOL
:: 리틀엔젤스어린이학교
5135 Walnut Ave., Chino, CA 91710
Tel: 909-591-1167
MY FIRST SCHOOL (CHRISTIAN PRE-SCHOOL)
:: 마이퍼스트스쿨
25405 S. Normandie Ave., Harbor City, CA 90710
Tel: 310-534-6252
MONTESSORI CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
:: 몬테소리지능개발원
10282 Katella Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92804
Tel: 714-774-3342
Rainbow Montessori Children’s Academy
:: 무지개몬테소리어린이교육원
12914 Hazel Ave.
, Garden Grove, CA 92841
Tel: 714-638-8210
MIMI CHILDCARE Children’s Garden
:: 미미어린이동산
18827 Andrada Dr., Rowland Heights, CA 91748
Tel: 626-810-7991
PARK MONTESSORI CHILDREN’S CENTER
:: 박몬테소리어린이학교
13130 Herrick Ave., Sylmar, CA 91342
Tel: 818-367-5483
MRS. PARK’S GROUP TUTORING PARK’S GROUP TUTORING
:: 박선생그룹지도-라크라센타
2837 Honolulu Ave., Verdugo City, CA 91046
Tel: 818-236-3650
VALLEY NURSERY SCHOOL
:: 밸리어린이학교
6948 Woodman Ave.
, Van Nuys, CA 91405
Tel: 818-782-8630
VAN NESS NUR. SCHOOL & KINDER. SCHOOL & KINDER.
:: 벤네스어린이학교
15408 S. Van Ness Ave., Gardena, CA 90249
Tel: 310-323-4956
BUENA PARK LOVELY PRESCHOOL
:: 부에나팍고운어린이학교
8771 Valleyview St., Buena Park, CA 90620
Tel: 714-821-4325
BRIGHT CHILD LEARNING CENTER
:: 브라이트챠일드교육원
1203 W. Imperial Hwy. #102, Brea, CA 92821
Tel: 714-525-0080
VISON PRESCHOOL
:: 비젼어린이학교
19514 Rinaldi St.
, Northridge, CA 91326
Tel: 818-895-7643
Morning Star Kindergarten
:: TWINKLING STAR SCHOOL
310 S. Corner St., Anaheim, CA 92804
Tel: 714-774-6197
SHALOM PRESCHOOL & AFTERNOON
:: 샬롬어린이동산
8362 Trask Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92644
Tel: 714-896-0130
SUH FAMILY CHILD CARE
:: 서패밀리차일드케어
5510 Jamaica Cir., Buena Park, CA 90620
Tel: 714-562-8800
SMILE NURSERY SCHOOL
:: 스마일어린이학교
17415 Leslie Ave.
, Cerritos, CA 90703
Tel: 562-404-2492
SMALL WORLD PRESCHOOL
:: 스몰월드어린이학교
15750 San Fernando Mission Blvd., Granada Hills, CA 91344
Tel: 818-363-3684
STEPPING STONE PRESCHOOL
:: 스테핑스톤프리스쿨
5532 La Palma Ave., La Palma, CA 90623
Tel: 714-761-3962
MIRACLE LAND PRESCHOOL Zion Children’s School
:: 시온어린이학교
4371 Cerritos Ave., Cypress, CA 90630
Tel: 714-952-1740
CYPRESS TUTORS
:: 싸이프레스종합학원
8850 Walker St.
, Cypress, CA 90630
Tel: 714-484-1142
KING LEARNING CENTER
:: 왕수학교육원
1416 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, CA 90247
Tel: 310-515-0531
PRESCHOOL OF WEST HILL
:: 웨스트힐유치원
23350 Welby Way, West Hills, CA 91307
Tel: 818-704-8274
GRACE FAMILY DAYCARE :: 은혜어린이집
1097 W. Arrow Hwy., Upland, CA 91786
Tel: 909-981-7170
GRACE NURSERY PRE SCHOOL
:: 은혜어린이학교(가디나)
2222 W.
Marine Ave., Gardena, CA 90249
Tel: 310-323-8972
INLAND PRESCHOOL & KINDERGARTEN
:: 인랜드유치원
1101 N. Glen Ave., Pomona, CA 91768
Tel: 909-802-8152
SUN LIGHT ACADEMY
:: 썬라이트아카데미
2424 Greenwich Dr., Fullerton, CA 92633
Tel: 714-992-0579
AMERICAN STATES COLLEGE
:: 아메리칸스테이츠대학
808 W. Vermont Ave., Anaheim, CA 92805
Tel: 714-778-5295
ALTA ACADEMY
:: 알타아카데미
400 N.
Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006
Tel: 626-232-3480
에이티디비아이큐앤이큐애프터스쿨
17529 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills, CA 91344
Tel: 818-360-9292
LITTLE STAR
:: 작은별
16304 Haas Ave., Torrance, CA 90504
Tel: 310-532-3002
JOO SUNG AFTER SCHOOL
:: 주성교육센타(부에나팍)
5722 Crescent Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620
Tel: 323-756-9191
JOO SUNG AFTER SCHOOL
:: 주성교육센타(풀러튼)
1343 W. Valencia Dr. #H, Fullerton, CA 92833
Tel: 323-756-9191
JOO SUNG DAYCARE CENTER
:: 주성데이케어센타
13527 Beach St.
, Cerritos, CA 90703
Tel: 562-896-0691
TINY TOT CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
:: 타이니-탓기독어린이학교
7362 Crescent Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620
Tel: 714-220-2207
TUTOR TIME CHILD CARE LEARNING CENTER
:: 튜터타임어린이학교
6504 E. South St, Lakewood, CA 90713
Tel: 562-867-8583
TLC PRE SCHOOL
:: 티엘씨프리스쿨
11553 Leffingwell Rd., Norwalk, CA 90650
Tel: 562-868-8516
PACE ACADEMY
:: 페이스아카데미
123 W.
Amerige Ave., Fullerton, CA 92832
Tel: 714-871-6541
PAGE PRIVATE SCHOOL
:: 페이지사립어린이학교
419 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211
Tel: 323-272-3429
PAGE PRIVATE SCHOOL
:: 페이지사립어린이학교
12111 Buaro St., Garden Grove, CA 92840
Tel: 714-971-5533
HAPPY DAY PRESCHOOL
:: 해피데이어린이학교
1845 W. La PalmaAve., Anaheim, CA 92801
Tel: 714-490-0777
FULLERTON MONTESSORI CHILD CARE
:: 훌러튼몬테소리유아원
1918 W.
Orangethorpe Ave., Fullerton, CA 92833
Tel: 714-525-7870
Korean Baptist Church School (2022-23 Profile)
Top Rankings
Overview
Student Body
Academics and Faculty
Tuition and Acceptance Rate
Frequently Asked Questions
Nearby Private Schools
School Reviews
Edit School Profile
Top Rankings
Korean Baptist Church School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in California for:
Category
Attribute
Diversity
Highest percentage of students of color
School Overview
Student Body
Academics and Faculty
Tuition and Acceptance Rate
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
REQUEST FREE INFORMATION
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the application deadline for Korean Baptist Church School?
The application deadline for Korean Baptist Church School is rolling (applications are reviewed as they are received year-round).
School Reviews
Endorse Korean Baptist Church School.
Endorsements should be a few sentences in length. Please include any comments on:
- Quality of academic programs, teachers, and facilities
- Availability of music, art, sports and other extracurricular activities
- Academic or athletic awards
I am a:Please selectParentStudent/AlumniTeacherAdministrator
Name or Alias:
Your review:
How To Find The School You Want
Finding the right school for your child is a major project. However, if you tackle it methodically, you will get good results. Here’s a roadmap to finding the school you want.
Private School Supplies
Your child will need lots of supplies when she goes off to private school. These lists will help get you organized.
A Baker’s Dozen of ‘Must Have’ Sites
Here are my picks for ‘must have’ web sites when it comes to finding out about private K-12 schools.
Email:
Name of parent:
Student first name:
Student last name:
Student date of birth:MonthJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberDay12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031Year200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022
Student is:
Male
Female
Currently in grade:NurseryPre-KGr.K123456789101112
Seeking entry for grade:NurseryPre-KGr.K123456789101112
Target start date:FallSpringSummerImmediately202220232024202520262027
Please briefly describe academic, athletic, and extracurricular interests of the student:
Home address:
City:
Country:AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelgiumBelizeBermudaBoliviaBosnia-HerzegowinaBotswanaBrazilBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurmaCameroonCanadaCayman IslandsChileChinaColombiaCosta RicaCroatiaCyprusCzech RepublicCzechiaDenmarkDominican RepublicEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEnglandEstoniaEthiopiaFinlandFranceGermanyGhanaGreeceGuamGuatemalaHaitiHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKuwaitKyrgyzstanLatviaLebanonLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMalaysiaMaldivesMaltaMauritiusMexicoMonacoMongoliaMoroccoNamibiaNepalNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorwayOmanPakistanPanamaPapau New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaRussiaRwandaSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth KoreaSpainSri LankaSwedenSwitzerlandTaiwanTanzaniaThailandTrinidad & TobagoTurkeyUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited States of AmericaUruguayVenezuelaVietnamZambiaZimbabwe
State:Select StateAlaskaAlabamaArkansasArizonaAmerican SamoaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDC, WashingtonDelawareFloridaFederated States of MicronesiaGeorgiaGuamHawaiiIowaIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMassachusettsMarylandMaineMarshall IslandsMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMississippiMontanaNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNebraskaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNevadaNew YorkNorthern Mariana IslandsOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoPalauRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaVirgin IslandsWashingtonWisconsinWest VirginiaWyoming
Zip:(enter “N/A” if not applicable)
Phone:
Allow nearby private schools to send me information.
Share your information with nearby schools on our site and let them send you brochures.
Save this data and create your user profile. Create your own user account so you don’t have to re-type your user data each time you request information. You’ll also be able to track your information requests, get reminded of application dates, and more!
Username:
Password:
The average private school tuition in Los Angeles, CA is $16,942 for elementary schools and $23,167 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
The average acceptance rate in Los Angeles, CA is 78% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).
The 21 Secrets of A+ Students
Top School Listings by Category
Free Schools
A Parent’s Guide to Private School Entrance Exams
2020-21 Best SSAT Prep Courses Reviewed
More Articles
Running a Private School
Choosing a Private School
COVID-19
Opinion
High School Issues
“Korean children play little and do a lot”: how pre-school education works in South Korea | by Kristina Zayats | Family Records
Photo courtesy of Maya
Maya and her husband moved to the South Korean city of Suwon, located 30 kilometers from Seoul, when her daughter was only one year old.
According to Maya, Korea turned out to be a country of comfort, where everything is created for the convenience of people and where foreign specialists are happy to come to work, and the residents themselves always treat visitors with cordiality and goodwill.
It will be difficult for a person with liberal views to get used to a system of education and upbringing based on the principles of collectivism and respect for a hierarchy, Maya tells us. Even in Montessori kindergartens, one should not expect that the child will be given complete freedom to do whatever he wants. In general, Korean parents take education very seriously. From a very young age, in raising a child, emphasis is placed on learning, because without a good education one cannot find a job and even get married “successfully”.
What difficulties arose in the adaptation of a small child, why the question “Are you a foreigner?” sounds like a remark to Korean children and what are the consequences of suppressing non-standard behavior in childhood – read in Maya’s story.
Preparing to move:
“Just five years ago, there was practically no information about modern Korea on the Internet.”
We thought about moving to South Korea when my husband was offered a job at Samsung Electronics. This happened even before the birth of our daughter, so we decided to wait: I had certain plans for childbirth and how we would spend the first months after the birth of a child, and my husband was at work in St. Petersburg. We have always been impressed by Eastern culture, we wanted to understand and feel it from the inside. Since we love to travel, and our travels are not limited to vacations of several weeks, and Korea was already famous for its rapid economic and industrial development, security and comfort, then a year and a half after the first invitation, in the fall of 2010, we nevertheless decided to move.
It is curious that only five years ago there was practically no information on the Internet about modern Korea: about the life and life of Koreans, about the specifics of foreigners living.
They went there much less than now, they didn’t write much about it either, and there weren’t any communities of Korean lovers, they began to appear exactly a year later. I remember how I managed to find a blog of a Russian programmer who helped me navigate issues related to climate and nutrition – these moments, as it turned out later, became the most difficult for me to adapt.
I was very happy when I found on the forum of St. Petersburg parents a single topic in the section about life abroad, dedicated specifically to living in Korea. It was created and supported by the mother of now three children, a Korean scholar who lived in this country for about eight years and spoke of her with great warmth. We became friends, and I still read her blog, in which she now writes about life with children in Canada.
About adaptation:
“It didn’t feel like I was on another planet”
The first impression of Korea, unexplored and incomprehensible, turned out to be pleasant and optimistic.
The country accepted us, as if I got to my home. The differences were not embarrassing and it seemed that everything had been done and existed in order to make others feel comfortable, including psychologically. Koreans are a delicate people, and the country itself is a country of comfort. In this sense, she has no equal. There was also goodwill and a calm atmosphere: on the streets and in public places, children were always smiling, waving their hands and coming up to greet them and say a few pleasant words. My daughter began to smile more on the street, she immediately learned to wave her hand in response.
I didn’t feel like I was on another planet, as my friends said. Technology and industrial development were taken for granted: finally, everything in the cities was done wisely and for the convenience of residents!
Photo courtesy of Maya
We really enjoyed going to traditional Korean festivals in national stylized villages, especially Chuseok – Harvest Festival in October.
I fell in love with Buddhist temples, found both in villages and mountains, and in the very center of the metropolis.
People go to Korea with pleasure and, if possible, for a long time. Moreover, highly qualified specialists from Russia and Canada, the USA and Australia come there. The reasons are simple: in the “Land of the Morning Calm” there are high salaries and decent living conditions for foreign professionals, excellent public transport and affordable cars for personal use, good roads with excellent interchanges and clean, green, safe streets.
Also cheap and high-quality catering, shopping, excellent medicine, equipped with the latest technology, licensed clinics and traditional treatment centers. In addition, cheap kindergartens with good educational programs and schools, non-aggressiveness of Koreans, their politeness and unobtrusiveness in personal contacts, the opportunity for a foreigner to live in Korea the way he wants, regulating the degree of integration into the environment himself (young Koreans practice English with pleasure, it is easy get acquainted on the street with foreigners – just out of interest and curiosity).
Photo courtesy of Maya
Difficulties and oddities of local life were easily overcome. The only thing is that I did not immediately accept the local cuisine, not so much because of the spiciness, but because of the combination of the specific smell of a limited set of spices, the abundance of seafood and the incomprehensible simplicity of the dishes, devoid of imagination and any aesthetics. I cooked at home, and my daughter was supplemented with breast milk, so there were no problems. The most important thing was to find buckwheat at an affordable price.
But the pitfalls and paradoxes of Korean life were realized a little later. There was a strong difference between how we felt when we first arrived in Korea and how we felt there a year later. At first it seemed that all the best expectations were justified. Later, as the country was recognized, there was more and more longing and sadness for what is not found in Korea, that is, for high culture, gourmet cuisine, amazing architecture, philosophy and music, endless expanses, wild forests and transparent autumn air.
About the lifestyle and upbringing of children:
“Life in a family is unthinkable without observing a clear hierarchy”
What immediately sunk into my soul was the attitude towards small children. For the first year of life are considered 9 months spent by the child in the womb. And the countdown of the age of the child occurs from the moment of conception, and not the birth. This is fundamentally different from the Western attitude towards the unborn being, which absorbs the love and warmth of the mother on a subtle level even before birth.
Young children are brought up liberally. A child under 5-6 years old is allowed a lot. The baby is rarely scolded and almost never punished, he is constantly next to his mother and rarely cries. By the way, baby carriers, slings and ergo backpacks appeared in Korea, as well as in Japan, much earlier than in the West – they just always carried children in their arms, in a sling, later in a sling. A cheerful, cheerful Korean grandmother carrying her 2-3 year old grandson on her back is a common occurrence.
I have never seen bored mothers with a stroller winding circles around the yard. Strollers are taken with them on long trips for family weekends or taken out to the balcony and put the children to sleep in them. Mostly mothers with babies in ergo backpacks get together and go to the park, to a local restaurant or shopping together.
Photo courtesy of Maya
A Korean mother would not teach a child to sleep in his own crib by letting him cry for several nights in a row. They try to calm the child by any means. Children (with the exception of very poor families) always have mountains of toys. The child in the family is given all spiritual strength, all material possibilities, he is the object of universal love. The question of a son or grandson can soften even the most unfriendly and wary interlocutor.
The basis of Korean education is respect for elders and hard work. Life in a family is unthinkable without a clear hierarchy. The younger ones obey the elders, the children obey their parents, the woman obeys the man.
No matter how emancipated modern Korean women are, they have achieved considerable success in this area in recent years (the recently elected president of Korea is a woman), but a man remains the head of the family. There are many wives who find a lot of ways to twist ropes out of their husbands, but in public the hierarchy will still be respected.
From a very early age, children are taught to address older family members using special respectful forms. The younger cannot call the elder by his first name, let alone address him with “you”. It is necessary that a child knows from an early age how important the family is. “You can’t clap your hands with one hand,” Koreans say. To be together, to maintain family ties and relationships, even if it is not easy, to realize that people need each other – they try to teach this in the family, kindergarten and school.
Photo courtesy of Maya
There is an interesting feature in the upbringing of girls. Traditionally, in the countries of the Far East, it was not customary to teach a girl the secrets of household chores or crafts.
This was considered not only unnecessary, but even harmful. Girls were married off early and learned everything from their new families. Now girls are more likely to marry closer to 26, and this legacy of parenting sometimes leads to the inadequacy of some adult Korean women or to their somewhat infantilism. For example, we were surprised to see how familiar Korean mothers treated guests to pizza and cola. And this was not dictated by a lack of time, since one-year-old children are at this time in kindergarten. This is more the norm than the exception.
Children are taught not to fight, but to “press the market”. I have never seen fighting Korean children. A friend of mine told me that these were isolated cases. They resolve conflicts by talking: whoever will be the first to bring the interlocutor to tears with words or a cry.
Korea is a country of housewives (in a good way). Most Korean women either do not work at all or work part-time, so the children are under constant maternal supervision..jpg)
Korean children, compared to their European and American peers, are very attached to their mothers.
On the strictness and role of education:
“Today’s Korean children are often more busy than adults”
Korea is a very rapidly developing and rapidly changing country. However, the form of education remains largely traditionally strict. Corporal punishment was in full swing in all Korean schools ten years ago. Now both caning and corporal punishment are officially prohibited.
Traditional schools still exist, but today they are more like cultural centers where children and teachers wear national clothes, learn ancient crafts, calligraphy and other traditional subjects.
Photo provided by Maya
Children are taught to observe social norms of behavior – gratitude, apology, respect for elders. To be not like everyone else, to attract attention is considered indecent. In such cases, of course, they set others as an example. But they use positive examples, not negative ones.
But they can bring us, Europeans, as negative ones, and tell the child: “Are you a foreigner? Why are you behaving like this?” This is ok, but not shown.
With all their love, Korean parents demand a lot from their children. First of all, this concerns studies, since only graduates of the best universities can count on a good job in Korea. And to enter one of them, you need to study very well. For those girls who want to become housewives, it is not easier: only the owner of a higher education can apply for an excellent party. Therefore, Korean children play little and study a lot. And they simply do not have time to communicate with each other.
Most often, children already have a lot of activities in kindergarten. At school, a cloudless childhood ends abruptly. Today’s Korean children, who have to attend various courses in addition to school, are often busier than adults. Almost every student takes additional private lessons. They manage to relax a little only in rare hours of leisure, sitting at the computer.
Approximately after the fifth grade, the average Korean student’s routine looks like this: at 7:30 school (the beginning of classes varies), after school additional classes and courses until 9-10 pm. Many children continue to study during the holidays.
Photo courtesy of Maya
For years there have been discussions that schoolchildren are overworked and deprived of their childhood. But most parents still believe that it is all for the sake of the children and that it is necessary for them to succeed in life. Constant competition and constant struggle for survival.
In general, severe pressure on a child who, from childhood, must meet the requirements set for him, work hard and be responsible for his actions, is quite characteristic of Korean pedagogy, both family and school. The suppression of non-standard behavior also has its shadow sides, since the child is accustomed to conformity, and his ability to make original decisions is noticeably weakened. This affects the work of large Korean companies and becomes one of the reasons for the need to attract foreign specialists for cooperation.
About pre-school education and kindergartens:
“Korean traditional upbringing is characterized by strong team spirit and unquestioning obedience to elders.”
Korea has developed a whole pre-school education industry. There are a lot of developing groups and activities, games for the little ones and the little ones. The stores sell a great variety of colorful books, you can also buy educational games there (for example, a puzzle in the form of a map of Korea), and even educational children’s songs recorded on cassettes (multiplication tables or the Korean alphabet).
Kindergarten in Korean is necessary and useful. Here the child must learn not to stand out too much and live in a community where uniform rules and laws reign for everyone. Since recently, the basic kindergarten is fully paid by the state, so parents pay only for additional lessons, but they are not required.
Photo courtesy of Maya
There are two types of basic kindergartens, orinichip and yuchiwon.
The first one can have very little to do and is the kind of place where they can just sit with the kids and provide a playground. There are now many English kindergartens in Korea, it is believed that sending a child there is prestigious.
Koreans also demand a nursery, since maternity leave lasts only 3 months after the birth of a child. At the same time, it is typical for the whole of South Korea that a woman does not work after the birth of a baby, but devotes herself to home and family.
It is customary to send children to kindergarten, even if the mother does not work. Someone walks from 1.5 years old, someone from 3 years old. Children who for one reason or another do not attend kindergarten at the age of 3 are treated quite tolerantly, they do not pester with questions and moralizing – after all, it is not customary for them to demonstrate and impose their opinion, to violate personal boundaries. If there are grandmothers nearby, then they are busy with children up to 2 and even up to 3 years.
But this is rare, so it is difficult to find a child on the playground who does not go to kindergarten during the day.
Photo courtesy of Maya
Korean babies start learning reading, arithmetic, music, ballet and drawing at the age of 2-3. Kindergarten teachers conduct Korean and general developmental classes. Music, English, physical education, ballet, drawing are conducted only by professionals invited from outside. Lessons last 20 minutes. There can be three to four 20-minute sessions per day: two with a teacher and two with a pro.
In all kindergartens, without exception, trips with children to the zoo, museums or sports complexes are regularly organized, as well as on excursions and just walks. Each kindergarten and school has its own bright and comfortable uniform for such trips. These trips are included in the program of preschool education. And the kids really like them. If they go to the zoo or even to the museum, and the weather is good, then a picnic is sure to be arranged.
But for Koreans, even during field trips, everything is carefully planned: children are not given free time, they strictly follow the program drawn up by the teacher.
Kindergarten teachers are friendly and patient. If they build children, then strictly, but kindly. Children are not yelled at. When meeting children, they kiss, hug and in every possible way show that they are glad to see them. At the same time, children listen to them and stay close by on excursions. Educators regularly undergo advanced training.
For Koreans, education, as I mentioned, is above all, so the quality of the garden is judged by how well and how much they teach. First of all, intellectually, but emotional and creative can be a bonus. Few kindergartens will give children complete freedom of creativity (although it happens occasionally). At the same time, many kindergartens use some Montessori principles: there is an environment, there are rugs, you can take a manual, play and put it in place.
Photo courtesy of Maya
In general, the Montessori system came to Korea from the United States and is more common in foreign or Christian schools closely associated with the Protestant church. Traditional Korean upbringing is distinguished by a pronounced spirit of collectivism and unquestioning obedience to the elder, therefore it conflicts with Montessori pedagogy. In this regard, Montessori is not as popular in Korea as, say, private English gardens.
The Montessori Kindergartens that I had a chance to learn about did not impress me with significant differences from ordinary Korean kindergartens. The only thing that is always present in them is didactic Montessori manuals. Everything else looks normal. It is very difficult to imagine a situation in Korean kindergartens typical of Montessori pedagogy, in which some of the children gathered with the teacher for some classes, and some do what they want, it is very difficult. I got the impression that such behavior for Koreans is beyond the scope of what is normal.
There is a team and this team is busy with something under the guidance of a senior. If a child does not join these classes, then this is at least strange.
In the name of almost every Montessori kindergarten in Korea, there is the word Art, which here refers to everything related to the fine arts. It is believed that the system of the Italian teacher is designed to develop precisely artistic abilities. Like, your kid loves to do something with his hands, sculpt, draw, and so on, send him to a Montessori group. Moreover, this opinion exists not only among parents, but also among teachers. It turns out that for the development of, say, mathematical abilities, freedom is not needed, but it is useful for creative individuals. One could argue with this, since the Montessori method is a system of personality development as a whole, and its goal is to reveal in the child all his original abilities, and not some pre-set by parents.
Despite the contradictions, the Montessori method and traditional Korean education based on Confucianism definitely have something in common.
“The teacher grows with the student”, “When a noble man teaches and instructs, he leads, but does not pull, encourages, but does not force, opens the way, but does not lead to the end,” said Confucius.
On the adaptation of the child:
“Korean children’s subtle disregard for foreign children was noticeable”
Our move fell on the eve of my daughter’s birthday, when she was one year old. At that moment, everything went great, despite the fact that my daughter, after a flight for a week, mixed up day and night. We dealt with this easily. In all other respects, there were no inconveniences. At this age, children, as a rule, are still very strongly attached to their parents, and society as such does not bother them much.
Healthy friendliness and a calm atmosphere contributed to an almost imperceptible adaptation. We ourselves varied the degree of integration into the environment, we did not force it. Cooked mostly at home. She does not like Korean food, but eats certain foods with pleasure: for example, seaweed, mild Korean seaweed soups and udons, sesame rice and vegetable rolls.
In Korea, she liked, rather, Japanese food, it is not spicy and is easier to perceive for a European child.
Photo courtesy of Maya
The hardest part started later, around the age of three. The older the daughter became, the more difficult was the adaptation. There was a subtle disregard for foreign children by Korean children. Perhaps the hardest thing about Korea, besides feeling isolated from the rest of the world, is learning the language. In order for the child to speak Korean, you need to go to the kindergarten, development centers and private teachers will not give results. In the garden, children begin to talk after a year. It was not our plan to send her to a kindergarten earlier than 3-4 years. Therefore, it was clear that integration was unlikely to succeed.
Over time, it became more difficult to live in two houses, while maintaining and instilling Russian culture in a child and providing adequate space in a country of a different order. It is psychologically difficult to realize that you live in two different countries located at different ends of a huge continent.
Considering that almost all Russian families go home at least once a year (usually for summer holidays), we spent most of our time in our native St. Petersburg and it was impossible not to notice that she liked spending time in her homeland more than there. Each time they flew to Korea with joy, but solely because of the fact that “to dad.”
Photo courtesy of Maya
By the age of two, when she was not yet ready for a kindergarten, and it was impossible to provide a village of affection like in St. Petersburg, I thought about creating a home kindergarten among the mothers of the Russian community. Unfortunately, there was no support and we limited ourselves to episodic meetings and weekly Russian dinners. At the age of 3, we started attending the English-Russian kindergarten Appletree kindergarten.
Several conclusions can be drawn from our experience. First, it is worth remembering that adapting to Asia is much more difficult than it might seem at first glance. Especially a person with liberal views.