About CHALK Academy

I’m Betty, and I’m so happy that you’re here.  CHALK Academy is just me and my kids – and any family that wants their kids to enjoy learning Chinese!

CHALK stands for Creative, Hands-on, Active Learning for Kids.  Inspired by the educator Dr. Maria Montessori, our teaching philosophy incorporates sensory activities and movement for child-led Chinese learning.

If you’re a busy parent looking for engaging ways to teach your child Chinese, you’ve come to the right place!  Here, you will find resources to help you create an engaging, prepared environment for Chinese learning at home!

The website is organized into 5 main categories:

1. Quick, easy, and fun Chinese activities
2. Free, interactive Chinese printables
3. Resources such as our favorite books, videos, music, apps, and toys/games
4. Our family’s journey – reflections about Chinese learning and updates about my children’s progress
5. Teaching tips

Our Story

I’m a second-generation Chinese-American mom of a 5-year-old girl (老大 / lǎo dà) and 2-year-old boy (老二 / lǎo èr).  Trained as a pediatrician, I currently work in the e-learning industry and am teaching my children Chinese while learning with them.  I’m married to my best friend, a Korean-American guy, and we are raising our kids trilingual in a small town in California.

Let’s teach kids Chinese together!

If this is your first time here, I recommend reading through these guides on how to teach kids Chinese at home:

• Tips on creating a Chinese learning environment at home
  • Teach Your Child a Second Language at Home with 5 Key Steps
  • Raising Multilingual Children as a Non-Fluent Parent: 7 Lessons Learned in 2018
  • How To Get Your Child To Speak the Minority Language
  • Encourage A Child to Love and Speak the Minority Language with 5 Strategies
• How To Learn Chinese as a Busy Parent: 10+ Strategies (This post focuses on how I am learning Chinese)
• Teaching kids how to read Chinese
  • When and How to Introduce Chinese Characters to Kids?
  • 10 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Read
  • Create a Print-Rich Environment with Labels that Promote Literacy
  • When Should My Child Learn Hanyu Pinyin?
  • How I Taught My Child 1000+ Chinese Characters as a Non-Fluent Speaker

For an overview of fun Chinese activities for kids, please review our How-To Guide!

In addition, check out the FAQs!

If you’d like to get in touch, feel free to leave a message in the comments section or email info@chalkacademy.com!  Please me know if there are any printables, activities, or other advice, and I’ll try my best to share the resource!

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Follow us on social media:

Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest

Bilingual Facebook Group

For families interested in Chinese learning in a Montessori-friendly environment, please join our Facebook group!  Montessori-inspired Kids Learning Chinese is a global community of parents who are excited to share quality Montessori teaching tips, child-led activities, Chinese book recommendations, and other learning resources!

Together, we can make Chinese language and culture a positive part of family life!

谢谢 (Xièxiè / THANK YOU)

Thank you, Jesus, for my encouraging family and friends!  Special shout out to:

• My brother-in-law, Ray, for helping me build this website with Easy Cloud Solutions 
• My sister, Jennie, to whom I am grateful for her advice and content contributions
• The amazing members of these wonderful Facebook groups:
  • Christian Parents Raising Bilingual Children in English & Chinese
  • Montessori-Inspired Kids Learning Chinese
  • Raising Bilingual Children in Chinese/English
  • Raising Bilingual Children in English & Korean

For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – Philippians 4:13