Author: aadil.kayani@outlook.com

ECE and Foreign Language
Children and Foreign Languages

When I was in high school, we had some family friends come to visit that I had never met before. They had two young girls, about 3 and 5 years old. As I talked with them, I found out that the 5 year-old girl was just as fluent in French as she was in English. I was shocked, and impressed. There I was,a high school student struggling through Spanish class, sitting next to a bilingual 5 year-old. As I talked to her dad more, I found out that they had been talking to both of their girls in French and English since they were born. While I didn’t know it then, it turns out they were on the right track to teach their children a foreign language.

According to Earlychildhood News, research shows that the preschool years are the most crucial for language development in children. The article states that, during the preschool years, “learning a second language is as easy as learning the first” (earlychildhoodnews.com). The article goes on to talk about pediatric neurologist, Harry Chugani. Chugani talks about how important the preschool years are to language learning and development, and that “by the time a student reaches high school, the optimum learning period is lost.” When the world is growing smaller due to technology and people from different backgrounds are interacting on a more regular basis, it will greatly increase a child’s success to learn a second, or even third, language.

The best example of language learning in preschools is actually found in Sweden. One of the highest literacy rates in the world belongs to Sweden, and multiple languages are taught from an early age. “In these schools you will find three-year-olds speaking three different languages fluently” (earlychildhoodnews.com). This seems almost impossible, but it works because these schools “use sensory stimulation and play combined with language learning,” just as Building KIdz does.

Building Kidz and Foreign Language

Just as our curriculum incorporates academics with dance, music, and theater, we also bring Spanish into the classroom on a daily basis. This is due to the research discussed above, but also because of the secondary benefits that come from learning a second language at a young age. The two main benefits are that it will “feed their brains” and “boost their academic achievement” (leadwithlanguages.org). Learning a second language increases multiple academic and life skills, like problem-solving, critical thinking, listening, and multitasking. Children who speak more than one language also have increased reading, writing, and listening skills.

At Building Kidz, we want all of our children to receive these benefits. Each age group is introduced to Spanish in multiple ways. Our children hear Spanish from their teachers, from music, and from books. It is implemented through each day and week in order to help them achieve in all aspects of their lives.
March 2, 2026
Drama and Whole Child Education
Drama is something that is a large part of junior high and high school curriculums. They study the classics: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet. When we talk about drama and Early Childhood Education (ECE) within Building Kidz, though, it is not studying drama. It is all about participating in drama and the performing arts to enhance and accelerate academic learning and whole child development. The idea of integrating drama with ECE has been discussed and studied in great depth. Multiple articles delve deep into drama and education, but here we will discuss it simply. (Links to in depth articles are provided at the end this post).

Drama and literacy have been shown to go hand in hand. Before a children can become literate, each child needs to learn basic verbal communication skills. This is where drama can, and should, play a large role in young children’s lives. As children engage in acts of drama, in enacting scenes about the world around them, they begin to learn and understand the world at a different level. Allow children to sing, dance, and perform daily acts about the letter “E” and they will gain deeper understanding of its use in their speaking, reading, and writing. As we continue to apply this for more advanced topics, the outcome is the same. Margaret Meek, author of multiple educational books, has said that “drama strategies make public the secret things that expert readers know and do so that these usually invisible strategies will be made physical, external, and concrete.” Whether it is the role firemen play in our community, how to make friends, or the three forms of water, studies show that using drama to teach ideas increases and deepens understanding.

Drama and Emotional Well-Being

Drama can also be used to teach children about their emotions. What it means to be happy, sad, or angry-and how to handle these emotions. Provide them with scenes to act out about these emotions and they gain a more concrete knowledge of what emotions mean in a real-world context. What should I do if a friend is sad? Or if a friend does something that makes me angry? Giving children the chance to act these situations out with a teacher’s guidance gives them the opportunity to learn how to act as such experiences will inevitably come their way.

Another important aspect of drama is that it helps instill confidence in children. While studies have shown this fact, the best way I can describe its effectiveness is how it helped my oldest son build confidence during First Grade. Towards the end of his First Grade year, we were in the process of adopting him and his brothers. This was obviously a difficult time for him, and he tended to be shy. Then the school talent show came around, and he told us he wanted to do a dancing act with a friend. We helped them rehearse and the day of the talent show came faster than we expected.

He was nervous all day, but when he got up on stage we all saw a happier and more confident version of him. He danced his heart out, a beaming smile on his face the entire time. Everyone thought he did a great job, and they told him so. His confidence jumped up. Since that point, he is much more confident. He makes friends easier. And he understands that he can do big and difficult things.

It is experiences like this that we love seeing at Building Kidz. It is why we do what we do. Each and every child is provided the opportunity to learn and grow through drama, in small and big ways.

Sources for further reading:

Integrated Arts Approaches in Education

In the Beginning: You Children and Arts Education

Importance of Drama in Preschool Education
March 2, 2026
Be a Building Kidz Franchisee
Why an early childhood education franchise?

The Early Childhood Education industry is growing. From 2012-2017, the industry as a whole grew 2.9% annually. The franchise section of the industry, however, had an annual growth of 5.1% in the same amount of time (2011-2016). This growth is due to the fact that the demand for high-quality preschools is increasing. Unemployment rates are dropping, and more parents are returning to work. As they do so, these parents want be sure their child’s needs are taken care of, and not just their physical needs. Parents are increasingly aware of the importance of a quality education for the young ones. Thus, parents put more emphasis on finding a preschool that will meet the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs of their children. And this is exactly what Building Kidz does.

Why Building Kidz?

We have a proven, proprietary curriculum that integrates the performing arts for whole child development and academic excellence. Children sing and dance while they learn literacy, mathematics, and other subjects. Our children also receive a music, dance, theater, and foreign language class weekly. Our 3 to 6-year-old children participate in one recital and one broadway-style performance each year. These programs help instill confidence and commitment in each child. Confidence in standing up and speaking in front of others, and the confidence that they can accomplish big tasks. Our children gain a deeper understanding of commitment by learning a piece or script, and diligently rehearsing it until performance day arrives. This commitment and confidence, gained at an early age, will help them be more successful students and citizens as they grow. It is this model and curriculum that has helped us grow the way we have.

In fact, last year alone, we had a 100% increase in units. Due to this growth, Franchise Direct has recognized Building Kidz in an article detailing the Top 100 franchises in the country. While we are not a Top 100 franchise (yet), we are in the top 20% of emerging franchisors in the country. The article even includes a short interview with our Director of Franchise Development, Michael A. Peterson. In that interview, he states another reason why Building Kidz is experiencing such growth. He says:

“Everything Building Kidz does is focused on one thing: to touch the lives of 1 million children in our founder’s lifetime without compromising the quality of care for even one child. We do this using our own schools, our franchised campuses, as well as dedicating 25% of the franchisor’s profits to underprivileged children.”

The founder’s of Building Kidz hold this mission close to their hearts. It is not something they want to do, it is something they will do. With that determination, any new franchisee can expect a franchisor that will provide full support in all aspects of starting a new business. A recently signed franchisee says, “Before we even signed, Building Kidz was providing strong support and concrete answers for all of our questions. Since signing, they have been there every step of the way. They are professional, helpful, and completely committed to their mission, which has now become our mission.”

To learn more about becoming a franchisee, click here.
February 26, 2026