Kids’ Chinese Program
Chinese writing
Why should children learn to read and write Chinese?
Learning Chinese characters opens the door to Chinese content and culture.
Do you teach simplified or traditional Chinese characters?
We currently teach simplified Chinese characters.
Is Chinese writing difficult for children to learn?
Chinese writing is different from writing in an alphabetic language but it does not have to feel overwhelming.
What are radicals?
Chinese characters can be understood as structures made from smaller building blocks.
Is it important to know stroke orders?
Yes. Chinese characters follow established stroke-order patterns.
How do you teach stroke orders?
We use creative character flipbooks to teach stroke orders.
How do you teach children to write Chinese characters?
We use a creative, visual approach to Chinese character writing.
How can I find out more about your writing program for kids?
Book a free discovery call with us by filling the registration form.
1. Why should children learn to read and write Chinese?
Learning Chinese characters opens the door to Chinese storybooks, signs, messages, websites, and other digital content. It also helps children understand how the Chinese language is structured and deepens their connection with Chinese culture.
Chinese uses a character-based writing system, which can feel very different from alphabetic languages such as English. Many young learners find the shapes, patterns, and stories behind Chinese characters fascinating.
2. Do you teach simplified or traditional Chinese characters?
We currently teach simplified Chinese characters, which are widely used in mainland China, Singapore, and many Chinese-language learning materials.
Traditional characters are primarily used in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and some overseas Chinese communities. The two systems share many characters and underlying principles, so learning one can make it easier to recognize and understand the other later.
3. Is Chinese writing difficult for children to learn?
Chinese writing is different from writing in an alphabetic language, but it does not have to feel overwhelming. Children learn step by step—beginning with simple strokes, recognizing radicals (common character components), and gradually combining them to form more complex characters.
Through visual stories and creative activities we help children understand how characters are formed instead of relying only on memorization.
4. What are radicals?
Chinese characters can be understood as structures made from smaller building blocks. These building blocks are often called components, and some components are also radicals.
Radicals can provide clues about a character’s meaning or help organize characters in a dictionary. Other components may offer clues about pronunciation.
For example, the character 好 (hǎo, meaning “good”) contains 女 (nǚ, “female”) and 子 (zǐ, “child”). Therefore the Chinese character 好 is a combination of having a daughter and a son. Isn’t it fun?
Exploring how components work together helps children recognize patterns and makes learning new characters more engaging.
5. Is it important to know stroke orders?
Yes. Chinese characters follow established stroke-order patterns. Writing the strokes in the correct order helps children form characters with the right structure and proportions. It also supports fluent handwriting and is especially important for children who are interested in Chinese calligraphy.
6. How do you teach stroke orders?
We use creative character flipbooks to make stroke-order practice visual, interactive, and memorable. Children receive a flipbook template with step-by-step instructions showing how to write each Chinese character.
The completed flipbooks become a personalized learning record that children can use to review the characters and their correct stroke order.
Take a look at our character flipbook for 家 (jiā, “home” or “family”).
7. How do you teach children to write Chinese characters?
We use a creative, visual approach to Chinese character writing. Children begin by exploring basic strokes, radicals, and character structures through drawing and other hands-on activities. This helps them recognize patterns and understand how characters are formed rather than simply memorizing them.
Children then apply what they have learned through themed projects, such as personalized mini-books. These activities give them a meaningful reason to write in Chinese and help them connect individual characters to complete ideas.
Take a look at our 我的一家 (Wǒ de yì jiā, “My Family”) mini-book.
