Unlike other preschools, Maple Bear offers differentiated levels of instruction based on student’s readiness in an immersive bilingual environment using our proprietary dynamic curriculum that is delivered by highly trained local teachers who develop our students into educated and purposeful citizens of the world that their parents and our country would be proud of.

Maple Bear curriculum is designed to achieve specific and measurable outcomes in respect to literacy and other subject areas, such as math and science, through a purposeful and intentional approach. In particular, the curriculum and methodology support the learning goals and educational standards set in the Common Core. And finally, Maple Bear places a heavy emphasis on social and emotional development because learning cannot take place without it.

Many Maple Bear schools offer Bear Care, an infant care & early learning program that accepts infants from 6 weeks to 24 months of age.

Bear Care recognizes that the infant is a capable and active learner. The infant does not need to be “taught” lessons or content. The infant is respected as an already very competent learner, and is allowed, and encouraged, to explore, play, discover and practice in ways, and on a schedule, that best fits his or her emerging abilities, interests and skills.

Schedules are arranged to best meet the needs of the infant. The infant’s day will have consistent and predictable routines, few transitions, and lots of time for repetition and practice. Infant programs cultivate an “unhurried” atmosphere.

Maple Bear provides learning environments that keep the infant safe while allowing for exploration and discovery. Spaces and places have developmentally appropriate toys and furnishings that will accommodate the needs of crawlers, walkers and almost-walkers.

Maple Bear recognizes the importance of the family. Daily communication between parents and program staff ensures that the well-being of the child remains a priority.

Maple Bear is unique because it is based on immersive learning which is different from more traditional language instruction. Maple Bear stands out among other immersion and language programs because its system is proven in 35+ different countries.

When is the best time to start bilingual immersive education?

The research is clear, the younger the better. There is a definite window of opportunity when learning languages is the easiest. Up to the age of 7, it seems children can learn a new language more effortlessly. As development progresses, this window of opportunity begins to close and further learning has to be gained through hard and more traditional learning. Other studies have shown that children who learn a language before the onset of adolescence are much more likely to have native-like pronunciation.

There have been concerns that teaching children two languages at once only confuses them. Fortunately, there has been much research—much of it conducted by Canadians—which shows that far from handicapping children, bilingual education can offer benefits from infancy to old age.

So what are the benefits of bilingual immersive education for young learners?

For a start, it’s very good for development of a second language, a goal of many of our parents who chose Maple Bear for their children. Young bilingual learners have also been shown to have:

• better concentration, analytical skills and multi-tasking capabilities;
• they learn to read sooner than monolingual students;
• they have an increased sense of self-worth and identity;
• they have the ability to live abroad and learn other foreign languages later in life;
• enjoy exposure to more than one culture which leads to a global perspective.

The Maple Bear learning environment is structured so that the children learn language in a natural way, the same way in which they learned a first language.

Maple Bear early childhood schools benefit from our distinguished academic faculty of Canadian trainers, curriculum writers and quality assurance personnel.

The Maple Bear program is a living, breathing curriculum that is constantly being updated. We have a large faculty of experienced teachers and education administrators that we draw upon to develop new curriculum, new training materials and methodologies and school policies. We undertake periodic student assessment at schools to benchmark student performance.

Maple Bear provides continual professional training and support for our teachers. Trainers from the Maple Bear Faculty mentor teachers and introduce them to the latest pedagogies and instructional strategies. We also have partnerships with the Province of Manitoba’s Department of Education as well as the University of Winnipeg where Maple Bear teachers can take courses leading them to a Masters in Education.

Every Maple Bear school undergoes an annual inspection that covers everything from safety equipment to classroom performance. On a regular basis and drawing on the experience of training staff in schools, we review and update our curriculum to reflect the latest developments in the field of education and changes in local regulations and requirements. All Maple Bear schools have clean, secure facilities and low student to teacher ratios.

Our goal is to establish quality schools that will provide an excellent education experience to students for generations to come.