Early Childhood

Fundamental skills and whole child development

At YCIS, our early childhood programme immerses students in a supportive, bilingual learning environment where our highly qualified teachers work with parents to nurture confident, caring, and curious young learners. The focus in these early years is on whole-child development and the personal and social values that will support students for life.

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Established more than nine decades ago, the Yew Chung kindergarten programme is one of the top Hong Kong preschools; it has initiated many educational practices. Our school has an innovative, up-to-date, and well-balanced curriculum. We believe that each child is unique and should follow his/her pathway to grow in crucial areas of child development:

Emotional, personal, and social development
Communication and literacy
Numeracy, problem-solving, and reasoning
Understanding of the world
Physical and creative development

Our Co-Teachers nurture children in a stimulating, play-based, child-centred learning environment in a bilingual setting of English and Chinese. Our violin programme for four-year-olds allows children to enjoy music at a young age. Co-Teachers create a portfolio for each child to document his/her development path.

To support our home-school partnership, we run interesting workshops for parents, grandparents, and caregivers as part of our programme.

Philosophy and Objectives

At YCIS, our bilingually focused, research-based, and holistic approach to education helps students build a strong foundation and a range of skills from an early age. In our Early Childhood Education programme, our students view themselves as competent learners who know they are valued. As part of our philosophy, we encourage the active involvement of families on campus and in our school community.

Co-Teachers

Co-teaching facilitates a bilingual learning environment in which both Chinese and English are equally valued. ECE Co-Teachers provide an environment where children interact naturally, feel comfortable about their own identities, and begin to move easily between cultures.

Co-Principals

Two Co-Principals, one Western and one Chinese, work together to provide academic leadership and oversee the implementation of the Early Childhood Education at their campuses. The successful cross-cultural collaboration of our Co-Principals serves as a model for Co-Teachers, students, and the greater YCIS community alike.

Upcoming Events

Information Sessions

STAY & PLAY

Experience Day

Our Infant & Toddler Learning Programme (ITLP) has been specifically designed for children aged six months to two years. Our half-day, play-based programme is a childcare service that involves an accompanying adult from the child’s family.

In our safe, child-centred kindergarten, children can enjoy the many benefits of early childhood education. In this bilingual, English-Chinese (Cantonese) environment at YCIS, communication development and building relationships are highly valued among the children.

Things to Know:
- Choice of morning or afternoon session, starting at 8.45 a.m. or 1:15 p.m.
- Choice of 3 to 5 sessions per week
- Each session is 2.5 hours
- Each class has three highly co-teaching staff members who are highly qualified in early childhood education.
- The teacher-to-child ratio is 1 to 6.
- The school provides a healthy snack.
- The school organises parent workshops and parent evenings.

We believe the home-school partnership is essential for the child's growth and development. This begins with parents joining our mandatory Information Session or an equivalent private tour with the Head of Admissions. Please see "Visit our School" for options. We provide opportunities for active play through sensory exploration, music, and movement and encourage children to move between our indoor and outdoor environments. Children regularly enjoy art and "messy play".

Snapshot of a School Day - Early Childhood

8.15–8.30am

Students arrive
8.15–11.30am

Children engage in learning and development in accordance with their interests and teacher stimuli, which are based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and YCIS learning approach. Classes have a snack time and an outdoor time each morning. Each class for the 3-year-olds and the 4-year-olds will also have specialist classes during this time, on differing days during the week.
11.30 am

Lunchtime
12–1.30pm

Four-year-olds nap
12–2pm

Three-year-olds nap
12–2.30pm

Two-year-olds nap
1.30–4pm

Children engage in learning and development in accordance with their interests and teacher stimuli, which are based on the EYFS and YCIS learning approach. Each afternoon session has a snack time and an outdoor time. Each 3- and 4-year-old class will also have specialist classes during this time, on differing days during the week.
4pm

End of the school day

Click here to learn more about our Tseung Kwan O campus.

Our Infant & Toddler Learning Programme (ITLP) has been specifically designed for children aged six months to two years. Our half-day, play-based programme is a childcare service that involves an accompanying adult from the child’s family.
In our safe, child-centred kindergarten, children can enjoy the many benefits of early childhood education. In this bilingual, English-Chinese (Cantonese) environment at YCIS, communication development and building relationships are highly valued among the children.
Things to Know:

Choice of morning or afternoon session, starting at 8.45 a.m. or 1:15 p.m.

Choice of 3 to 5 sessions per week

Each session is 2.5 hours

Each class has three highly co-teaching staff members who are highly qualified in early childhood education.

The teacher-to-child ratio is 1 to 6.

The school provides a healthy snack.

The school organises parent workshops and parent evenings.
We believe the home-school partnership is essential for the child's growth and development. This begins with parents joining our mandatory Information Session or an equivalent private tour with the Head of Admissions. Please see "Visit our School" for options. We provide opportunities for active play through sensory exploration, music, and movement and encourage children to move between our indoor and outdoor environments. Children regularly enjoy art and "messy play".
Snapshot of a School Day - Early Childhood
8.15–8.30am

Students arrive

8.15–11.30am

Children engage in learning and development in accordance with their interests and teacher stimuli, which are based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and YCIS learning approach. Classes have a snack time and an outdoor time each morning. Each class for the 3-year-olds and the 4-year-olds will also have specialist classes during this time, on differing days during the week.

11.30 am

Lunchtime

12–1.30pm

Four-year-olds nap

12–2pm

Three-year-olds nap

12–2.30pm

Two-year-olds nap

1.30–4pm

Children engage in learning and development in accordance with their interests and teacher stimuli, which are based on the EYFS and YCIS learning approach. Each afternoon session has a snack time and an outdoor time. Each 3- and 4-year-old class will also have specialist classes during this time, on differing days during the week.

4pm

End of the school day
Click here to learn more about our Tseung Kwan O campus.
Our two-year-old programme, also known as our pre-nursery programme, takes young children on self-discovery at our kindergarten campuses in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. At this stage of children’s development, we value the time and space to establish positive and personal relationships between the children and their teachers.
We try to stimulate the curiosity and enthusiasm of children through meaningful games and activities led by the children themselves. We believe that growing curiosity brings confidence. The children are immersed in our bilingual English/Chinese (Cantonese) learning environment.
Information about the Programme:

Choice of half-day or whole-day programmes

5 sessions per week

The half-day programme is between 8.30 - 11.30 a.m. or 1 - 4 p.m.

The whole-day programme is between 8.30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Each class has three highly qualified early years co-teaching staff members.

The teacher-to-child ratio is 1:8.

The school provides a healthy snack.

For whole-day sessions, lunch is provided by the school.

The school organises parent workshops and parent evenings.
We believe the home-school partnership is essential for the child's growth and development. This begins with parents joining our mandatory Information Session or an equivalent private tour with the Head of Admissions. Please see "Visit our School" for options.
Snapshot of a School Day - Early Childhood
8.15–8.30am

Students arrive

8.15–11.30am

Children engage in learning and development following their interests and teacher provocations, connected to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and YCIS learning approach. There will be a morning snack time and outdoor time each morning. Each class in the 3’s or 4’s will also have specialist classes during this time, on differing days during the week.

11.30 am

Lunch time

12–1.30pm

Four-year-old classes nap

12–2pm

Three-year-old classes nap

12–2.30pm

Two-year-old classes nap

1.30–4pm

Children engage in learning and development following their interests and teacher provocations, connected to the EYFS and YCIS learning approach. There will be an afternoon snack time and outdoor time each afternoon. Each class in the 3’s or 4’s will also have specialist classes during this time, on differing days during the week.

4pm

End of the school day
Click here to learn more about our Tseung Kwan O campus.
YCIS offers an international kindergarten programme and nursery programme in Kowloon, Hong Kong. We continually stimulate the children's intellectual curiosity through meaningful play-based activities led by children. We believe curiosity leads to self-confidence. Our students are immersed in a bilingual English/Chinese (Cantonese) learning environment at YCIS. The whole-day programme further develops a child’s independence.
Information about the programme:

The whole-day programme is from 8.30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The programme has 5 sessions per week.

Each class has two co-teaching staff members highly qualified in early-year education.

The teacher to child ratio is 1:12.

The school provides a healthy snack and a lunch.

The violin programme begins for four-year-olds.

Our Mandarin teacher visits the classes.

We have a transition programme for four-year-olds moving to our Primary section.

Child-led projects stimulate the children's interests.

Parent workshops and parent evenings are organised.
We know that the partnership between schools and families is essential for children to develop and flourish. We require parents to join us at our compulsory ECE Information Session or an equivalent private tour with the Head of Admissions. Please see "Visit our School" for dates and communication.
Our classrooms and Co-Teachers offer many daily opportunities for children to explore and develop. Children have extended periods of play to follow their interests in a safe school setting. The classrooms have been carefully designed so the children can explore the environment according to their interests. Children in the Early Childhood Education programme at YCIS create art, music, and dances. These creations, designs, and movements express the children's individual, creative, and intellectual ideas.
Snapshot of a School Day - Early Childhood
8.15–8.30am

Students arrive

8.15–11.30am

Children engage in learning and development following their interests and teacher provocations, connected to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and YCIS learning approach. There will be a morning snack time and outdoor time each morning. Each class in the 3’s or 4’s will also have specialist classes during this time, on differing days during the week.

11.30 am

Lunch time

12–1.30pm

Four-year-old classes nap

12–2pm

Three-year-old classes nap

12–2.30pm

Two-year-old classes nap

1.30–4pm

Children engage in learning and development following their interests and teacher provocations, connected to the EYFS and YCIS learning approach. There will be an afternoon snack time and outdoor time each afternoon. Each class in the 3’s or 4’s will also have specialist classes during this time, on differing days during the week.

4pm

End of the school day
Click here to learn more about our Tseung Kwan O campus.