Lesson series

Middle FOUNDATIONS - WRITE & TYPE - Grammar & Vocab (1/5-4/19) Sat 8-10AM PST

This course is designed to help students build a foundation in Chinese by focusing on character recognition, writing, typing, and grammar practice. This completes the Chinese ecosystem of establishing the last criteria of writing foundations. The curriculum is structured to cover the same material and speed as Taiwan and China but is taught in a way to facilitate quick retention for students worldwide with our proprietary methods. This course is taught in both Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
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We're More than Chinese...

We give kids...

  • Methods to Learn
  • Friends
  • Coolness
  • Culture
  • Self motivation
  • Charisma

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Compared to Asia's Curriculum

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Our Foundations course focuses on character recognition and typing. Each class has:

  • Learning 10-20 characters per lesson
  • Improve typing skills in Traditional and Simplified Chinese
  • Build essential grammar and vocabulary
  • Conducted 100% in Mandarin
  • Make cool friends and immerse
  • Zoom sign on, recordings for review, worksheets all conveniently in your dashboard.

What We Teach

Character Recognition & Writing

Students will learn to recognize and write Chinese characters, focusing on stroke order, accuracy, and legibility.

Typing Practice

Speed and accuracy in typing both Traditional and Simplified Chinese characters will be developed through regular exercises.

Grammar & Vocabulary

A strong foundation in grammar and vocabulary will be built and reinforced through continuous writing and typing exercises.
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Why BUNDLES are best!

500/Yr | FAST Results | Consistency | Ultimate Ecosystem

What Happens in Class

This is the Mandarin learning experience families have been searching for, authentic, rich, warm, and built on world-class literature.

We invite you to register and join the community!

Excellence & Recognition

  • We are fully WASC accredited, ensuring academic quality and high standards.
  • We have received multiple Innovation and Social Impact Awards from the University of Pennsylvania for our unique approach to education.
  • Our teachers are trained through the rigorous Motherly Notes methodology, known for making Mandarin learning fast, joyful, and conversation-driven.
At Motherly Notes, your child steps into a true native-language environment unlike any other bilingual program. Most classmates come from Mandarin-speaking households, giving students natural exposure to authentic tones, expressions, and high-level discussion. This immersive atmosphere consistently helps our learners skyrocket their Chinese abilities, quickly and joyfully.

Focused on Writing

In our weekday classes, we focus on the excitement of literature, rich stories, comprehension, discussions, and idioms that help students fall in love with Mandarin.

In our weekend Foundations classes, the focus shifts to writing mastery. Instead of stories, students work with short passages and then dive into structured writing practice: from Zhuyin, to character formation, to sentence writing. These sessions are designed to build strong fundamentals and confident writers, step by step.

Discussion & Vocabulary Exploration

As students learn new vocabulary, they also explore the many ways each word can be used. We dive into:

Phrase building — learning how a single word can create multiple useful expressions

破音字 (characters with multiple pronunciations and meanings) — understanding tone changes and context

Idioms connected to the new vocabulary

Radicals — helping students recognize patterns and strengthen character understanding

In our Foundations classes, students not only learn these new phrases but also practice writing them, reinforcing both comprehension and writing skills.

Typing Practice

From learning Zhuyin to mastering Pinyin typing, students build typing skills gradually — one week at a time, little by little. As they progress through the levels, their ability grows naturally. By the time they reach the upper levels, students are confidently typing full sentences and even complete paragraphs in Mandarin.

FAST Native Progress Made for Overseas Students

We teach at the same pace as top native classes in Asia, but with one powerful difference, we use our own carefully designed texts. Why? Because overseas learners thrive when content feels relevant, relatable, and global.

Many traditional textbooks from Taiwan or China focus on local culture, references, or terms that don’t always translate to the wider world. This can slow down comprehension and frustrate students. Our curriculum removes that barrier. By tailoring topics to the international experiences of overseas students, learning becomes faster, smoother, and far more enjoyable.

When the goal is to master writing and retain a large number of characters, we place the emphasis exactly where it belongs:
✔️ high-interest themes
✔️ memorable vocabulary
✔️ efficient writing practice

Our Foundations Curriculum

In our weekend Foundations classes, we use our own Hanzi 1000 system and Dictionary Tales from Taiwan — a research-backed sequence that guides students toward writing 3,500+ characters across our full program.

On average, students learn:

≈ 500 new characters per year

with a long-term retention goal of 80–90% by Year 5 and beyond

This intentional structure ensures students build not only speed, but confidence, advancing at native-level rigor while learning through stories, topics, and examples that truly resonate with their lives.

We read and teach fully in Traditional Chinese, with full support for Simplified Chinese, especially when children write. All teachers are trained in both systems.

In our Foundations weekend classes, students learn both Simplified and Traditional in a structured approach.

Our Philosophy

At Motherly Notes, we believe learning Chinese should feel like an adventure, not a chore. Our approach is all about immersive, meaningful learning that connects language with real-world knowledge. In our classes, kids explore subjects through engaging stories, thought-provoking texts, and lively discussions—all in Chinese. We focus on building fluency naturally, making Chinese a tool for discovery, not just memorization. With idioms, character learning, and social-emotional insights woven in, kids gain confidence in both language and critical thinking. Learning should spark curiosity, and at Motherly Notes, we make sure it does.
  • Advanced methods for memorizing characters.
  • Scientifically proven methods for learning.
  • Fully interest driven so your child will never get bored.
  • Building people magic so it feels like a playdate.
  • Award winning curriculum design (UPenn, Wharton, Jacobs Foundation awards). 

Time Conversion Chart

Use the charts on the right to convert to your local time zone: 
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  • North America East Coast
  • Europe
  • Australia
  • Asia

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About Sign on and Flex Times

Motherly Notes courses are conducted online. All zoom links will be in your dashboard upon sign on. If there are multiple times listed, students are allowed to sign on at any of the given times listed for that day, as all zoom links will be provided in your dashboard.