Singapore Math Emphasizes Mastery, not Memorization

The French School of Austin, or Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau, emphasizes multilingualism, multiculturalism, and academic excellence. Located in Austin, Texas, the French School of Austin/Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau offers students in preschool through eighth grade a challenging curriculum that includes Singapore math. 

After children in Singapore began ranking highly in math, the rest of the world took notice and began adopting what is now known as Singapore math. This encompasses the country’s methods for teaching math to children in kindergarten through sixth grade. 

Some educators credit the success of Singapore math to its emphasis on mastery rather than memorization. American math classes have traditionally relied on memorization and math drills, with immediate results on tests. Singapore math, on the other hand, is based on child development theory. It focuses on helping students master a smaller number of concepts each year, so that they understand the math they’re applying at a fundamental level. 

Singapore math is still relatively new to the United States, as it was introduced in the late 1990s by Jeffrey Thomas and his wife, Dawn, a native of Singapore. However, schools in 40 states have incorporated it into their curriculum, a number that will likely continue to grow.

Three Things Parents Can Do to Help Kids Reach Their Full Potential

A preparatory school that has been teaching students for more than a decade, French School of Austin, or Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau, is known for providing a high-quality bilingual education. Staffed by native French speakers, Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau/French School of Austin maintains small class sizes and offers numerous extracurricular activities in an effort to promote academic success.

Academic success depends on not only schools, but also children’s parents and home life. Following are several things that parents can do to help their kids reach their full potential:

- Promote hard work. Rather than focusing only on grades, parents should address how hard their children work in their classes. This includes the number of hours they spend studying and completing assignments. By focusing on hard work instead of grades, parents teach their kids the value of putting effort into the things they want.

- Give them new experiences. Kids need to be given plenty of opportunities to discover new passions and talents that could impact the rest of their lives. Parents can do this by allowing their children to participate in different classes, jobs, or sports and other extracurricular activities. As kids try these new activities, parents must be encouraging and helpful.

- Offer plenty of praise. As children develop, recognition and praise of their work play a significant role in the development of self-esteem. Praise also encourages children to try new things in an effort to win approval and to take intellectual risks instead of becoming afraid of failure.

Three Benefits of Small Classroom Sizes

The French School of Austin, Ecole Jean-Jacques Rousseau, was founded by Dr. Hind Louali, and Mr. Mohammed and Mrs. Sonia Louali in 2005. Dedicated to serving children between the ages of 3 and 13, the French School of Austin (Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau) maintains small classroom sizes with no more than 15 students per class.

Here are several benefits of small classrooms:

Increased student visibility

In large classrooms, shy or unmotivated kids have an easier time hiding and can often get left behind. However, small classes allow instructors to see that all pupils are fully engaged and able to understand the material.

Better student-teacher interactions

Limiting class size enables educators to spend more one-on-one time with each student. Not only does individual attention promote faster learning, it also helps children feel like their teacher cares about them. This can encourage them to work harder and participate more frequently.

Improved classroom management

Having fewer students makes it easier for educators to manage classroom activities. Consequently, there is less disruption, which leads to a more peaceful learning environment. Teachers can also more efficiently address any problems that do arise.

Benefits of Small Bilingual Class Sizes

Founded by experienced educators Dr. Hind Louali and Sonia and Mohammed Louali, the French School of Austin, also known as Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau, offers full-time French instruction programs taught by highly-qualified teachers who are also native speakers. The French School of Austin/Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau follows the standards set by the French Ministry of Education and purposefully keeps student-teacher ratios low to ensure more opportunities for one-on-one support and enhance each child’s learning experience. 

Low student-teacher ratios are ideal for bilingual learning environments, where students may need extra support in reading and writing skills while learning other core subjects. Additionally, some of the anxieties associated with second language learning are measurably reduced in smaller classes. In one study, language students in classes with fewer children reported higher feelings of security, which contributed to higher levels of class participation. 

The benefits are especially notable for elementary school students. More teacher attention can increase student achievement and reduce student behavioral issues. Calmer class environments are more conducive to learning and help promote a supportive class culture.

The French School of Austin String Program

At the French School of Austin Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau, children participate in a diverse arts program that includes mandatory study of the violin. The program guides students in developing both musicianship and performance skills. The string program at the French School of Austin Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau is a progressive course of study that centers on the Suzuki method. 

Students typically enter the string program through the beginning string class, which welcomes children aged 5 and 6 as well as those transferring into the program from other schools. Students then progress to levels I, II, and III at a pace set by their individual progress. 

When students reach Suzuki Book IV, they can progress to the chamber music class, which focuses on ensemble work and includes solo performance, ear training, and music theory. 

Students who are particularly serious about music and who have completed at least one year of study can take String Conservatory Level by audition or invitation. Students in this program attend two lessons per week in addition to monthly theory and master classes. The students later have two ensemble performances and two solo performances.

Why Learn Multiple Languages?

Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau, also known as the French School of Austin, provides multilingual education from preschool through eighth grade. Many students at Ecole Jean Jacques Rousseau graduate speaking three languages, and six major languages are represented in its student body.

Speaking multiple languages doesn't just equip these young people to converse with those in other nations, it provides health and social benefits that last a lifetime. Those who speak multiple languages generally develop better attention spans and improved multitasking abilities, and face lower risks of stroke than monolingual speakers. They also experience cognitive decline at a slower rate than those who only know one language, often experience delayed onset of common aging-related diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia, and have lower stress levels than the general population.

Bilingualism also often correlates with open-mindedness. Bilinguals typically deal with environmental changes more effectively than their monolingual counterparts, and are more open to new experiences.

Advantages of Immersion Education

The French School of Austin, École Jean-Jacques Rousseau, provides a bilingual education in French and English to children aged 3 to 13 years. The preschool program at the French School of Austin, École Jean-Jacques Rousseau, offers total French immersion, while continuing French language instruction features throughout its curriculum.

Research shows that when children engage in immersion education in a second language, they develop cognitive skills that are comparable to their peers who become bilingual at home. These skills include a heightened metalinguistic awareness, which presents as a knowledge of different elements of language, such as words and syntax, and the ability to verbalize this knowledge.

Immersion education also allows children to develop more ease in their learned language. Students who begin such programs with command over one language develop second language comprehension and fluency skills that are comparable to native speakers. Meanwhile, these children develop a heightened awareness of their own native language and its components.

Additionally, children who learn in immersion environments develop improved executive control, or executive function, a crucial set of mental processes that includes control of inhibitions, flexibility of thinking, and command over working memory. Studies reveal that they are more able to decipher complex problems with contradictory information as compared to their monolingual peers, largely because they show a greater facility to attend only to the information that they need.

Children in immersion programs also become increasingly adept at speaking to people from different language and cultural backgrounds. They show greater sensitivity to the needs of their listeners and can learn new languages more quickly. These skills can make a child not only more adept academically, but also more in-demand as a professional in a multicultural world.