English, and elementary exams.

Confidence for private-school entrance exams — as a natural extension of play. From paper tests to movement, fine motor skills, group activities, and oral interviews, SVA's exam-prep program builds "thinking power" and "the drive to see things through" from the ground up.

Why SVA

We're not a "cram school."
And yet, the results follow.

SVA is not an exam cram school. What we value most is cultivating the foundational qualities represented by the "6Cs" — communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, and computational thinking — the skills to thrive in the 21st century.

Growing up "soaking in" English in a bilingual environment, many SVA children have gone on to international schools in Japan and abroad. In addition, alongside our afternoon Japanese lessons, we offer a Japanese elementary school exam-prep class — with a strong track record of acceptances to prestigious private elementary schools.

The secret is nothing special: we add a layer of exam prep on top of the foundational qualities that grow through everyday lessons.

Because children engage out of genuine absorption rather than pressure, they build real thinking power and perseverance. That foundation is what shows up in results — both at international schools and in Japanese elementary school entrance exams.

Instructor

Instructor RISA

Risa Yoshida / Head of SVA's Japanese department · Exam-prep lead

An exam-prep professional who has guided many children into competitive kindergartens and schools. Rather than cramming worksheets alone, she builds "thinking power" and "the drive to see things through" from the ground up, tailored to each child's development. Without forcing, she grows the strength to face exams while children have fun.

Exam Prep

Comprehensive prep,
from paper tests to behavioral observation.

Japanese elementary school entrance exams ask for far more than paper knowledge. At SVA, we cover five areas — paper tests, movement, fine motor skills, group activities, and oral interviews — in balance, woven into daily lessons, so that exam prep and English immersion fit together naturally.

A child working with a teacher in the exam-prep class

A moment from the elementary exam-prep class

Fine motor practice: picking up beads with chopsticks

A child working on a counting task with a teacher

A child working on crafts and dexterity tasks in the exam-prep class

Curriculum

What we prepare

Based on exam trends, we cover five areas systematically. (The following is an example; content is tailored to the target school and each child.)

PaperPAPER

Why it matters　Tests the foundation of "thinking" — numbers, figures, memory, language. It's less about how much you know than whether you can reason step by step.
The SVA way　Daily lessons build the habit of reasoning; our dedicated exam-prep class then adds paper drills aligned with exam trends, practicing everything from reading the question to checking the answer.

Mirror drawingPosition shiftCountingWord chainsEveryday knowledgeNumbersQuantityStory recallSubstitutionOrigami unfoldingFigure divisionMissing-part detectionLayered figuresAreaStory creation

MovementMOVEMENT

Why it matters　Assesses listening — following instructions accurately — and physical coordination.
The SVA way　Daily active play and dance build stamina and rhythm; our exam-prep class practices instructed movements — imitation, hopping, ball work — in exam format.

ImitationDanceBear walkCrab walkElastic jumpTarget throwJump ropeBall bounce

Fine MotorFINE MOTOR

Why it matters　Measures dexterity and everyday independence — focus and care show here too.
The SVA way　Crafts and mealtimes exercise the hands daily; our exam-prep class practices common tasks — chopsticks, bow-tying, threading — with an eye on timing.

ChopsticksSingle knotRibbon tyingScissorsCraftsThreading

GroupGROUP

Why it matters　Looks at cooperation and social skills as children work together (behavioral observation).
The SVA way　Our small, mixed-age days grow cooperation; our exam-prep class rehearses group crafts and games in settings that mirror working with children they've just met.

Group craftsGroup drawingGroup playGroup games

Oral InterviewORAL

Why it matters　Assesses the ability to express your own thoughts in your own words — tested in interviews and behavioral observation.
The SVA way　A bilingual environment builds expressive confidence through sheer speaking volume; our exam-prep class practices interview-style questions, along with posture and greetings. Example questions:

Please tell us your name and age.
What are your mother's and father's names? How many people are in your family?
What's your favorite dish that your mother makes?
What would you like to work hard at in elementary school?
When do your mother and father praise you?

Join Us

Have questions about
exam prep? Just ask.

We'll walk you through preparation tailored to your child and target school, at an info session or a one-on-one consultation. Feel free to get in touch.

Ask about exam prep

Instructor: RISA (Japanese dept. head)
Ages: Age 3–pre-school
Areas: Paper–Oral