Play-Based and Inquiry-Based Learning
The Bilingual Early Years programme at HAIS aims to develop physical, emotional and social skills along with expressive art and design skills to prepare children for pre-primary grades. Students are taught through play and structured lessons incorporating the necessary life skills appropriate to their age.
The Early Years programme ensures a close connection between Playgroup and Kindergarten age groups. The Bilingual programme presents a comprehensive, integrated, child-centred educational perspective through play-based and inquiry-based learning. It helps students to develop academic skills in numeracy and literacy and encourages them to ask questions and demonstrate their enthusiasm for learning. The programme focuses on global perspectives and incorporates Vietnamese cultural and linguistic values. These methods are led by a team of dedicated Vietnamese and native English teachers with a high level of expertise and experience teaching specifically for bilingual students, allowing them to practice and learn both languages simultaneously without losing their mother tongue.
Areas of Learning within the Bilingual Programme
Personal, social, emotional development
- Making Relationships
- Self-Confidence and Self-Awareness
- Managing Feelings and Behaviour
Physical development
- Gross Motor Skills
- Fine Motor Skills
- Health and Self-Care
Understanding the world
- People and Communities: Showing an interest in their own lives and in the lives of family members.
- The World: They show care and concern for living things and the environment.
- Technology: Recognising that a range of technology is used in places such as homes and schools.
Mathematics
- Number
- Shape and Colour
- Space and Comparison
- Pattern
Expressive arts & design
- Exploring and Using Media and Materials: Joining in with dancing and ring games and can sing a few familiar songs. They can use and explore a variety of materials, such as colours, textures and tools.
- Being Imaginative: Engaging in imaginative role-play and using readily available resources to create props to support this.
Communication and language
Vietnamese communication and language:
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- Listening, Understanding and Attention
- Speaking
- Reading
- Writing
English as a second language:
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- Understanding
- Use of Language
- Speaking and Listening
Cao Thi Hoang Nga
Bilingual Preparatory Teacher
Cao Thi Hoang Nga
Bilingual Preparatory Teacher
Years of Teaching Experience: 3
After graduating in 2017, Nga started working in Hoi An and found her passion in working in education. Fortunately, Nga has been blessed to be a member of the HAIS family since 2021. Working in a professional environment along with friendly and enthusiastic colleagues has helped her improve and develop a wide variety of skills.
Fun fact: Nga loves her job as well as her little students. Her hobbies are to make a lot of new hairstyles for girls in our class. She is also interested in cooking and baking.
Vo Thi Tuong Vy
Bilingual Early Years Learning Lead, Bilingual K2 Teacher
Vo Thi Tuong Vy
Bilingual Early Years Learning Lead, Bilingual K2 Teacher
Years of Teaching Experience 5+ years
Degree & Certifications: Bachelor in Early Years Education; IB(PYP); Dyslexia Awareness; Certificate of Practice Distinction; Differentiation for Catch-up; EAL for Classroom Teachers; Early Years SEN: Early Identification of Need; Certificate of Teaching Vietnamese Language as a Foreign Language; Certificate of Information Technology Application in Kindergarten; Courses: “Bringing Music into the Classroom” and “Sex Education for Preschool Children”
For Vy, a school cannot be without the laughter of children, each classroom is like a house, each child is a member of that house. The teacher is like the “pillar” in the family, and they must know how to create laughter, love, warmth and solidarity.
Working as a preschool teacher at HAIS since 2018, Vy has participated in useful summer courses and organized many interesting activities for Early Years and Primary students. This year is her 3rd year working as the Bilingual Early Years Learning Lead. Working at HAIS is a blessing to Vy – she loves her current job more because she is able to work in the right field in a good educational environment, and has the opportunity to learn many different languages and cultures from her colleagues and all students.
Fun facts: Vy loves the beach and listening to the sound of waves. She also loves a good challenge – the more difficult a task is, the more she wants to overcome it.
Jo Darby
Bilingual Kindergarten 1, Bilingual Kindergarten 2 Teacher, Basketball Coach
Jo Darby
Bilingual Kindergarten 1, Bilingual Kindergarten 2 Teacher, Basketball Coach
Years of Teaching Experience: 10+
Degree & Certifications: B.A. in Early Childhood Studies, TEFL, P4C, EYFS Bitesize, Early Years SEN, IB (PYP), Middle Leadership Essentials.
Jo has over a decade of teaching experience throughout different Asian countries. Since growing up in London, he has actually spent a significant portion of his adult life working in international schools in China to build and strengthen their bilingual programmes.
Under the HAIS Continuing Professional Development programme, Jo completed professional development training in Dyslexia Awareness, Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS Bitesize), Early Years SEN, EAL for Classroom Teachers and Middle Leadership Essentials.
While his degree is specifically in Early Childhood Studies, Jo believes there are always new things to learn and has continued his professional development as a teacher by adding additional certifications, including a TEFL, P4C and IB (PYP) training.
Fun Fact: Jo likes to write music in his spare time and has released one studio album. He is also a life-long learner of languages. He is conversational in Chinese and Thai, and is currently studying Spanish during his free time.
Nguyen Thi Duyen
Bilingual K1 Teacher
Nguyen Thi Duyen
Bilingual K1 Teacher
Years of Teaching Experience: 5+
Degree & Certifications: Associates Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science; Intermediate Professional Education Diploma – Early Childhood Pedagogy; Dyslexia Awareness; Certificate of Practice Distinction; Certificate of Early Identification of Needs of Preschool Children; Certificate of Montessori Teacher 0-3 years; Certificate of Access to Vietnamese Language According to the Montessori Method
This is Duyen’s 4th year working at HAIS. She is very proud and honoured to work in an international education environment. At HAIS, she feels her colleagues are always friendly, kind and ready to support each other. Parents openly share, give suggestions and enthusiastically support teachers in taking care of their children. Duyen’s educational motto is to let children play and explore. By that, they will develop all of their cognitive and motor aspects. She believes that HAIS will be a great environment to make children become happy kids.
Fun Fact: Duyen usually spends her weekends with family members reading, cooking and going to the beach.
Le Thi Luy
Bilingual Discovery Teacher
Le Thi Luy
Bilingual Discovery Teacher
Years of Teaching Experience: 4+
Degree & Certifications: Bachelor in Early Years Education
Luy has been working in the education field in Hoi An since she graduated university. The longer she works, the more love she has for her career as a kindergarten teacher. The work of caring for and teaching children presents many experiences and emotions. Luy feels honoured to have been a member of the HAIS family since 2021. This energy-filled working environment and helpful, professional teachers promote her growth and development. Luy hopes she can enjoy many beautiful moments at HAIS.
Fun fact: Luy likes to explore new places. By traveling, she learns new things, sees beautiful scenery and meets new friends. She is also very fond of light yoga exercises to help her relax, be calm and rejuvenate her each day.
Specialist Subjects Teachers
Nguyen Thi Thuy An
Head Librarian
Nguyen Thi Thuy An
Head Librarian
Years of Teaching Experience: 2+
Degree & Certifications: Certificate of Training in Library and Information Competence; Bachelor of Tourism & Hospitality Management
After earning a Bachelors in Tourism & Hospitality Management, Thuy An realized that her passion is in education, so she has been pursuing this career and constantly improving herself. Thuy An has been working as an Assistant Librarian at HAIS for 2 years now. She loves working with students, in education and with books, which led her to this job.
Fun Fact: Thuy An loves dancing although she feels she is not really good at it. She enjoys reading and running in her spare time.
