Charis Language Immersion Academy
The Only K - 8 Christian Mandarin Immersion and Spanish Immersion School in Upstate South Carolina
Would you like your child to start learning a foreign language from K - 8 in a caring environment? Proficient biliteracy is attainable in small-size immersion classrooms! Do you have a high achiever looking for a solution for a fun and engaging program with high standards? Or do you have a low learner trying to strive in English Reading and Math needing an individualized learning plan? Or do you have a child with unique learning styles and gifts?
Charis Academy
is the right choice for you!
What is Language Immersion?
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Charis Academy offers one of the most unique K-8 Mandarin/English Dual Language Immersion programs in Upstate SC. It adopts a multisensorial-cognitive approach in Montessori-style with robust STEM and music components to meet the needs of ALL learners in Chinese language acquisition, English Reading, and Math .
Photos from June Academy are posted!
Proven Results
Our MAP standardized test scores for the 2023- 2024 year have shown that 100 % of our students scored above the 90 percentile of the national average and 80 % of students scored above the 80 percentile of the national average in English Reading. All glory be to God!
The word "Charis" is derived from the Greek word Charis (Greek: Χάρις) meaning "grace, loving-kindness, and unserved blessing."， pronounced as [kʰáris].
At Charis Academy, we believe all good things come from God who has created us to be the workmanship in Him. After a man is regenerated by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ, the man is restored into Christ-likeness to serve and love God , others and our community.
"And God is able to make ALL GRACE abound toward you, that ye, ALWAYS having ALL SUFFICIENCY in ALL THINGS may abound to EVERY GOOD WORK. " II Corinthians 9:8
About
We're the best in our field, and it's all thanks to the incredible relationships we've formed with our clients. Unlike our competitors, we're invested in developing a personal connection with each and every one of our customers, by providing quality service and being available to you 24/7. Get in touch with us when you're ready to learn more; we can't wait to meet you!
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Customer reviews
Daniel K.
"I honestly received the best service I could have asked for. They were super professional to deal with; they met all my needs and helped me a lot."
Ron H.
"The entire experience was so easy and friendly, and the price was very reasonable. I don't know what I would have done without them."
James F.
"I can't say enough good things about the quality of this company. Highly, highly recommend using them!"
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An ideal learning environment
for children
The benefits of the students are the goals of our teaching plans. We commit ourselves to helping students of different backgrounds receive a quality Mandarin-immersion or Spanish-immersion education in a supportive and caring environment.
Our school's immersion programs have been specially designed by professional linguists to help students effectively overcome learning challenges, successfully attain high academic achievement, get equipped for college, and grow up to become valuable contributors to society.
Our language-immersion curriculum is perfectly complemented by a high-standard music, math, science and engineering education to fully prepare students for college and their careers.
More importantly, our curriculum is designed to reflect a Biblical perspective. Through it, students are able to understand the connections between humanity's history, present, and future in relation to God's plan of salvation. Teachers work alongside and provide guidance to young minds, helping them discover their identity and purpose through God's truth. Bible lessons are taught regularly, ensuring that students have a solid foundation to honor and serve God and the community throughout their lives
Mandarin Immersion
Research has shown that bilingualism in language immersion facilitates outstanding academic performance in reading and math scores. Proficient bilinguals outperform monolinguals in divergent thinking, pattern recognition, and problem-solving skills (Chen, 2020; Fortune, 2012, Lindholm-Leary, 2012) . Intercultural competency skills open up employment possibilities. Bi- or multilingual individuals connect and converse more freely with wider range of people. They know more and they know differently.
At Charis Academy, students spend 50% of their day in Mandarin/Spanish immersion time in language arts, science, math, music, and arts. The other 50% is spent learning reading, writing, Social Studies, Science, Math, and PE in English. Students who are immersed starting at the kindergarten and elementary levels attain language skills well above those who start in high school, (Fortune, 2012).
The Benefits of Mandarin Language Immersion taught with Orton-Gillingham characteristics for Success of Dyslexic Students, mainstream students and others with exceptionalities.
In addition, Mandarin, a pictorial language, utilizes the visual-learning part of the brain for the acquisition of Chinese characters and meaning. Our unique teaching approach adopted characteristics of the Orton-Gillingham English-teaching approach into the Chinese teaching approach and in small group settings throughout K-6. Studies have shown that sub-skills learned from acquiring the Mandarin language transferred to English learning (Fortune, 2012). We have successful stories of students in our programs who excelled in mastering the Chinese language, music, math, and English under the unique multisensory-cognitive approach to teaching. Much research has shown the effectiveness of a multisensory-cognitive approach for learning growth in these areas (Hettiarachchi et al., 2020; Lehtinen-Schnabel, 2024; Seidl et at., 2023, Mitchell, H, 2024; Moustafa, 1999) .
We are pleased to offer our programs to students diagnosed with dyslexia or who have strong early symptoms/tendencies of dyslexia or other learning exceptionalities. We are committed to provide equal learning opportunities to ALL learners to excel in our unique small-group and individualized learning plans for success in ELA reading and writing, Math, and second language acquisition in a peaceful and joyful environment.
Montessori Approach
Building onto the main framework of the multisensorial approach, Charis Academy has adopted the Montessori learning environment, particularly in the Children's House (3-6) classroom where practical life components and hands-on learning with Montessori manipulates are fun and engaging for such a classroom. Early geometry and independent learning space with tailor-made individual learning plans in a peaceful and joyful culture of exploration of knowledge and nature. Children's absorbent mind flourishes their journey of learning amazingly!
Early STEM Experience
Our curriculum allows for expedited training in math, laying a strong foundation for future studies in science, technology, engineering, and math. We provide rigorous training in mental math and promote kinesthetic learning through Chinese abacus instruction. Our hands-on interactive approach in all subject areas fosters student engagement through an exploratory journey of inquiry. In addition, our enrichment programs consist of early Robotics/ LEGO, G1-12 Genius Computer Programing and Chinese Abacus Mental Math classes
Early Music Experience
Charis Academy is a Dual Language School
We take the Mandarin/Spanish and English Acquisition Seriously. In all our English classrooms, we adopt the Orton-Gillingham Approach to teach individually and in small groups.
01
We Teach Sound Decoding
CA adopted the Orton-Gillingham Approach in all English classrooms to teach phonemic awareness, and sound decoding.
02
We teach Alphabetical Principles
Our students are able to put sounds together and learn phonological principles.
03
We teach for Reading Fluency and Comprehension
Our students not only read a book for exploration, they are reading for fluency and comprehension.
04
We teach Writing
We reach the standards to love writing and express thoughts and ideas with organization and coherence.
Cultural Components for
Flexibility and Creativity
Research has shown that bilingualism fosters a higher understanding of diverse cultures and flexibility, creativity in divergent thinking, and problem-solving skills (Bialystok,2001; Fortune, 2012). Bilinguals enhance their working memory and attention control from a cognitive psychologist's point of view (Bialystok et al., 2008; Craik et al., 2010; Steele et al, 2017). Festive seasons are celebrated at Charis Academy for cross-cultural experiences.
02
Parent 2:
"It is certainly the right direction the school has pointed us to. Even our neighborhood and my son's Sunday school teacher have noticed my son's change."
03
3rd Grade Student:
"I like this school because there are always so much to do. You never get bored. There is always something to do!"
04
4th Grade Student:
"Writing Chinese characters is satisfying. When you are stressed, it calms you down!"
Testimonials
"It has been transformational. My child changed from not liking to go to school to love going to school and eager to see her teachers! " - parent
"It certainly is the right direction the school has pointed us to. Even our neighborhood has seen our child's change." - parent
"As soon as my son started to go to this school, his behavioral issues in class were gone. The Sunday school teacher had noticed a change in his life." - parent
"I like the school because it is so much fun. There is always so much to do." - student
"Wiring Chinese characters is so satifying! It is calming! It calms you down." - student
"I like this school. I like getting here early to get organized." - student
Upcoming Events
Chinese New Year Celebration
Celebrate Chinese New Year with us on January 28 at 2:30 pm! Everyone is invited and welcome!
Coming Up......
Field to Roper Mountain Science Center
Field Trip to the Zoo
Field Trip to the Piano Museum
Community Service to the Elderly Independent Home
End - of -Year Showcase May 30
Everyone Welcome!
Works Cited
- Bialystok. E (2001) Concepts and creativity. In E. Białystok (Ed). Bilingualism in Development: Language, Literacy and Cognitive Cognition (pp. 203-210. Cambridge University Press.
- Bialystok, E, Craik, F, & Luk, G (2008). Cognitive control and lexical access in younger and older bilinguals. Journal of Experimental Psychology, Learning, Memory and Cognition, 34 (4), 859-7873.
- Craik, F, Bialystok, E & Freedman, M (2010). Delaying the onset of Alzheimer disease: Bilingualism as a form of cognitive reserve. Neurology 75 (19), 1726-1729).
- Steele, J, L., Slater, Ro. O., Zammarro， G， Miller, T., Li, J., & Burkhauser, S (2017). Effects of dual-language immersion programs on student achievement: Evidence from lottery data American Educational Research Journal.
- Fortune, T. W, (2012), What research says about immersion, CARLA.
- Fortune, T. W, Struggle Learners and Language Immersion, (2010), CARLA, University of Minnesota.
Charis Language Immersion Academy – Non-discriminatory Policy
Charis Language Immersion Academy (CLIA) is committed to providing equal access to educational and employment opportunities and does not unlawfully discriminate based on any characteristic protected by applicable federal or state law, including race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability. As a Christian school, CLIA affirms that all students, teachers, and staff members are created in the image of God, and therefore, should be treated with dignity and respect. CLIA is also committed to upholding the moral and ethical standards drawn from Scripture and are rooted in the Biblical principles of truth and love.
Charis Language Immersion Academy is a fully accredited private school by Grace Association of Private Schools and a transitioning member of NAUMS, Inc., with Cognia accreditation . It is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating under the business name Charis Language Immersion Academy. Contributions to CLIA are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
CLIA tax identification number is 88-3627844