The Joy Connections Studio

I can’t recommend Joy Connections enough! I started all three of my children in their Mandarin playgroup when they were just 6 months old, and now my 4-year-olds are still... Read more just 6 months old, and now my 4-year-olds are still happily attending. Watching their journey learning Mandarin with Joy Connections has been so heartening. The classes are engaging and fun, which makes a huge difference. My 4-year-olds are in the Language Level 1 class, and I love how they learning characters through creative methods like games, storytelling, and even public speaking. The best part is that they’re not expected to sit still for long periods—it’s a very child-led approach, which helps them enjoy and absorb the language. All three of my children genuinely enjoy going to Joy Connections, and it’s clear that the program has given them the confidence to use Mandarin in their daily life. If you’re looking for a Mandarin program that’s fun, effective, and fosters a love for the language, Joy Connections is the place to go!

I've been to caregiver accompanied Mandarin playgroups from 4 different providers for my 2 yr old child in Singapore and I think Joy Connections stands out in being one of... Read more I think Joy Connections stands out in being one of the classes with the best content. Pros + many Chinese enrichment providers seem to have the same content in classes on the surface, (e.g. songs, stories, hands on play, arts & crafts, exercises) but quality of the teacher's delivery, content, and props really sets different schools apart. Joy Connection is higher on the quality side: + playful delivery of content to learn Chinese in a fun way, with alot of fun props for hands on learning + experienced the teaching of 3 teachers so far and all were of a high quality in how they delivered the content and built rapport with the children + Curriculum is well thought out in how it's centered around a theme each week and I like that they provide a pinyin song book for you to take home, along with access to the song on the app that I can sing a home with my child, which helps with reinforce the vocab learnt. + not all the teachers use a mic or play the music too loud. Alot of Chinese teaching providers in SG seem to use mikes and these high volumes leave me and my child overwhelmed noise-level wise and tired by the end of class. They seem to think the louder they shout the more the kids will absorb but the opposite is true - kids will block out what they hear if they are overloaded sensory-wise. + flexible makeup class policy, up to 4 makeup classes out of 12 week sessions (2 require MCs). No rigid term structures where you must sign up to terms on set dates - just start when you're ready. + helpful customer service on whatsapp + one of the few providers who allow caregiver accompanied classes after 3yr+. I haven't tried the class yet but I don't think my child will be keen to be left alone unaccompanied with a stranger they only see once a week so I'm glad the accompanied option is available. Cons/ feedback - it would be better if the teachers can lower the volume and not use mikes / play the music or sounds so loud in the smaller teaching room. In this smaller room, usage of mikes will lead to tiredness/ sensory overload for the kids as normal speaking volume will suffice. + Be aware this is a music class so the purpose is to teach both Chinese and music, hence sometimes there’s focus on teaching of rhythm, reading music notes and vocabulary of musical instruments which may not suit those looking for Chinese learning only. So not a con if you don’t mind that. + Not a con - but I'd love if they would create a class for kids who want to attend twice a week (as I'd love to send my child 2 times) and structure the content so it's different content for those 2 classes. Right now it's designed for kids to attend only once a week (you'll have repeated content if you attend 2 times).

We have been attending the Thursday infant class with Lala Laoshi for a few weeks and I highly recommend it! There's always different activities and toys each class - which... Read more There's always different activities and toys each class - which includes a story-time and a hands-on art activity - and that makes each session fresh and interesting. Lala Laoshi is wonderful and she makes the effort to connect with each student - she calls every child by their name and speaks to them at their level by sitting/ kneeling down. If one kid is distracted in the middle of the activity, she will reach out to the kid with a toy or hand gesture to draw the kid back in. We also love the song booklets (given once every 2 weeks). The studio is clean, bright, and all the toys look new and clean too. Overall, I've been to another English music class and I can say that Joy Connections puts a lot of thought into crafting each class into something that's engaging, educational, and entertaining for the kids!

I am a fan of joy connections curriculum after having checked out Youle and ChengZhu, for infant below 18months. In particular, I think the app with class songs that you... Read more particular, I think the app with class songs that you can play at home and the booklets with vocabs you can repeat at home provides effective learning. I want to give a very big shout out to Teacher LaLa and her class that is so engaging! It’s something you really can’t replicate at home, even if you know mandarin. The energy level is a constant high and she finds oppty to engage each one of her students in class no matter the challenge. Teacher LaLa knows to pick and bring the best props to the class to engage the students, which is essential to help the toddlers learn. Her musical instrument skills and coordination skills to bring the class together is quite a talent. Finally, I find her great because she even at the end of class care to provide feedback on what she observes to mothers about the students. Her care for the students shine through. One feedback is if they can keep class small at 6-8 students max. The space is not big enough for more where we end up sitting in front of each other or can’t see the mirror. I have attended class with 10 toddlers and 10 parents but I still decided to sign up my daughter because of teacher Lala and their curriculum. I highly recommend!

I see the teachers very dedicated and really passionate about what they do. Shan Shan Teacher gave a very clear explanation about the course. Kids are significantly improved their Mandarin.... Read more explanation about the course. Kids are significantly improved their Mandarin. Strongly recommend parents to allow their child to join Joy Connections Studio!