Afterschool Elementary: A Fun Path to English and Academic Growth

At Joy to the World, our Afterschool Elementary program offers a fun, engaging environment for children to build confidence and strengthen their English skills. Whether your child is a Joy Kindergarten graduate or new to the program, we’ve created a space where kids aged 6-11 can continue learning in a way that feels natural and enjoyable.

Why Choose Joy’s Afterschool Elementary Program?

Our program began more than 20 years ago, originally created to help Joy Kindergarten graduates maintain and develop their English while attending Japanese elementary school. Today, it has expanded to welcome children who have studied abroad or who are new to Joy. With a range of abilities and goals within our student body, we offer three class levels—Earth, Rockets, and Sky—tailored to meet each child where they are.

For students who need extra support, we recommend private lessons with our partners at mo-TV-ate to help build confidence, especially for those struggling in Earth Class. For students who have completed all levels or need additional help with Rockets or Sky homework, we also recommend lessons with Kikokushijo Japan.

A Focus on Holistic Development

While we emphasize academic skills, our main goal is to foster essential life skills like communication, collaboration, curiosity, and creativity. Through activities like crafts, group games, and discussions, children build critical thinking and problem-solving skills, all while immersed in an English environment.

Three Levels for Individual Growth

Earth Class

For beginners, Earth Class introduces the basics of English reading, writing, and speaking. Through fun games and activities, children learn vocabulary, phonics, and sight words, preparing them for more natural conversation and academic growth.

Rockets Class

Students in Rockets Class have reached an intermediate level, able to communicate more freely. Here, children dive into academic topics like science, history, and geography while continuing to build their English vocabulary. Activities like reading stories, simple experiments, and group discussions keep learning fun and engaging.

Sky Class

Our most advanced class, Sky Class, is for students in 2nd grade and above who have a strong grasp of English. This class explores topics in greater depth through group projects, composition, and discussions. Students sharpen their critical thinking and creativity while continuing to expand their vocabulary and academic skills.

Tracking Progress: The Junior English Test (JET)

Joy to the World is the only school in Tokyo licensed to administer the Junior English Test (JET). Normally aimed at elementary students, we offer this test to children starting at age 4, providing a way for families to track their child’s English development. Over time, many students in our Sky Class have shown remarkable progress, with some even passing the highest levels of the test.