Multi-age and dual-language education at New International School (NewIS) is done in the Vygotskian style, with children progressing developmentally from wherever their current “place” may be, and learning interactively from and with their classmates in a three-year age range, as well as from and with two homeroom teachers per class. As such, diversity is experienced as a positive aspect, as opposed to an inconvenience, or even an enemy of the “system.” This means that age diversity, cultural and linguistic diversity, developmental diversity, diversity of learning and thinking styles, etc., exist in every class.
Students can speak and do research in their own languages, without restrictive language policies, because the school believes that “more language is more language,” as the students transfer concepts from one language to another and develop their social as well as academic proficiencies.
Children at NewIS are engaged and enjoy that engagement in an atmosphere and place where they are not compared to one another.
Seminars and orientations open to the public are held monthly with the primary purpose of encouraging thought about education. Orientations are scheduled on September 11 and 21. The first seminar is scheduled for September 20 on the Whys and Hows of Dual Language Education. See http://newis.ed.jp for more details.
