Kuei Luck Early Childhood Center aims to open in October. The preschool follows the Reggio approach to learning in which children learn through play, and is a Mandarin immersion school.
A new Reggio early childhood learning center for ages 1-4 is set to open in Rego Park-Forest Hills this month, where children will direct the learning. “The Reggio early childhood philosophy is that children learn through play,” says Mary Tuazon, director of Kuei Luck Early Childhood Center. “So what Reggio is about is giving the children the responsibility and trust in their own learning.”
With the Reggio approach, children at Kuei Luck will direct the inquiry- and project-based curriculum. “So whatever it is children are curious about, the teachers will find how to support that, and cover the core subjects with the Reggio twist,” Tuazon says.
Another aspect unique to the early childhood center is the Mandarin immersion language program. Tuazon says there will be at least one teacher in each classroom that is fluent and will speak only in Mandarin. “We’re not a school that says all children are going to learn mandarin at 2pm,” Tuazon says. “That’s not how children learn, they have to be immersed in the language.
Parents who are interested in enrolling their child should fill out an application and schedule a one-on-one tour and interview. “We will sit down together and discuss the parents’ goals and objectives for their child in the early education,” Tuazon says. “We just want to make sure that Kuei Luck is the right place for the child and the right place for the family.”
Kuei Luck offers full days (8am-6pm), extended days (7:30am-6:30pm), and half days (8am-12pm or 1:30-5pm). The preschool aims to open in October, and there is currently no application deadline.
Main photo: Two children engaged in puzzle work with Mary Tuazon, director of Kuei Luck Early Childhood Center, who says teamwork is just one of the key skills learned in early education.
