At iPlusOne Academy, we will build a solid foundation for one language (Korean) to easily pick up the second language (English). Once we have a strong base in Korean, we will incorporate English allowing the children to keep their base and add a new language. In this way, children learn to become fluent in both languages. This is the premise of iPlusOne. “i” is the base and what the child knows. The “plus one” is what we do constantly by adding to the “i”. We take what they know and keep challenging them to learn and grow and become bilingual.
i + 1
Our children/first language
+
Comprehensive input/ second language
Stephen Krashen, an expert in the field of linguistics and bilingual language acquisition developed “The Input Hypothesis”.
This hypothesis suggests that language acquisition occurs when learners receive messages that they can understand, a concept also known as comprehensible input. However, Krashen also suggests that this comprehensible input should be one step beyond the learner’s current language ability, represented as i + 1, in order to allow learners to continue to progress with their language development.
In another word, if a learner is at a state ‘i’, then acquisition takes place when he/she is exposed to ‘Comprehensible Input’ that belongs to level ‘i+1’.
This hypothesis highlights the importance of using the Second Language in the classroom. The goal of any language program is for learners to be able to communicate effectively. By providing as much comprehensible input as possible, the teacher is able to create a more effective opportunity for language acquisition.
At iPlusOne, with understanding of second language acquisition through numerous studies and first-hand experiences, we have developed our curriculum to provide positive classroom environment in which our children can learn to be bilingual.
Our bilingual preschool will provide a complete program to develop the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and linguistic skills of the whole child by addressing the uniqueness of each in a nurturing, emotionally secure and academic-rich environment. Monthly calendars will be sent home detailing the theme and activities related to the skills we will be working on.
We have 9 classrooms (children's bathroom in EACH classroom) in our 10,000 square foot facility equipped with security cameras for infants 6 ½ weeks old and up, toddlers and preschoolers. We have two fenced in outdoor playgrounds as well as an indoor gym.
Cleanliness is a top priority so all children and staff will be wearing house shoes in our center.
(March 2020 Update: our school is fully compliant with CDC guidelines and with state and local health departments to ensure the safety and wellness for our students, staff and families.)
Before Care (8am to 9am) and After Care (3pm to 5pm) are available at a flat rate.
We will care for your children as we do our own.
At iPlusOne Academy, children are immersed in a unique bilingual/bicultural program. We have a specialized bilingual curriculum, highly qualified staff, and low student-teacher ratio. Children will not only learn language skills but also the culture and customs of both our Korean and American heritages. Our master teachers have multiple certificates, degrees and years of experience working with young children. We exceed state ratio standards to provide excellent care.
Our bilingual preschool provides a complete program to develop the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and linguistic skills of the whole child by addressing the uniqueness of each in a nurturing, emotionally secure and academic-rich environment. Monthly calendars are sent home detailing the theme and activities related to the skills we are working on.
We have 9 classrooms (children's bathroom in EACH classroom) in our 10,000 square foot facility equipped with security cameras for infants 6 ½ weeks old and up, toddlers and preschoolers. We have two fenced in outdoor playgrounds as well as an indoor gym. Cleanliness is a top priority so all children and staff wear house shoes in our center. Healthy snacks and a hot nutritious lunches are provided daily for our children. Before and After Care are available for professional working parents at a flat rate. We care for your children as we do our own.
Why choose iPlusOne Academy? Being educators and parents ourselves, we understand the challenges of working and raising a family. At iPlusOne Academy we provide your children with everything they need to have the best experience. Our goal is to build a solid language foundation in the early years so that our children may gain the benefits of being bilingual.
In today’s world, being bilingual at the minimum is a must and I am proud to say that I am a true bilingual/bicultural Korean-American. However, it was not easy to get to where I am today.
I was born into a monolingual family so becoming bilingual was quite a challenge. I was born in Korea and arrived in America at the age of two. At that time, my only language was Korean. As soon as I became five years old, attended a Kindergarten classroom in the American public school system where I was forced to sink or swim; in the early 70’s, the ESL program(English as a Second Language) was non-existent. Luckily, I was able to swim by somehow learning English on my own while still speaking exclusive Korean at home. with my parents and grandparents.
My parents were avant-garde immigrants who knew the extreme importance of preserving our native language and culture while acculturating in America. Growing up a Korean-American in the 80’s, I thought that I was an American girl who just spoke English like everyone else and only needed English. I dreaded going to Korean school every Saturday but I was reminded constantly by my parents that since I am Korean, I should know our language. But it was in high school when I finally realized the value of being Korean-American. While most of my friends at the time only knew English, I had an advantage because I already knew another language (Korean) and was even learning a third language, Spanish.
After graduating from NYU with a Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism, I spent years in the television industry. Writing script after script, I found it very unfulfilling and never felt appreciated. At the time, I actually felt that being Korean-American was a disadvantage. Since my broadcasting experience was not what I was hoping for, I decided to go back to school and earned my Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. I became certified to teach preschool through 8th grade and worked in the public and private sectors. Having been fascinated with language acquisition and development, I decided to get two more certifications in ESL and Bilingual/Bicultural Education. With all these certifications and unique credentials, I was hired by the Ridgefield public school system to create and start their newly mandated Korean bilingual program. This was where I taught students in the ESL/Bilingual programs for 10 years.
Not only am I a teacher, but I am also a mom of two. When my children were young I searched for a bilingual preschool so that they could reap the benefits of being bilingual, but did not find what I was looking for. There were only either Korean preschools that taught in exclusive Korean or American preschools where only English was used. The students who went to the Korean preschools usually ended up in my ESL class, while many of the students who went to American preschools lost their Korean language abilities. Consequently, parents would have to send their children to Korean school to relearn their native language.
With the culmination of all my experiences as an educator and parent, I have come to realize the significance of immersing our children in a bilingual and bicultural environment. Therefore, I saw the need to create a TRUE bilingual preschool.
Why do young children have to learn only one language when they are fully capable of learning two?! After having taught and developed curriculum for 20 years I have taken only the best of everything to offer you a truly unique bilingual/bicultural learning experience.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly with any questions about our school.
Thank you for your interest in iPlusOne Academy,
Maria L. Kim
Director & Founder
Maria L. Kim
M.A. Early Childhood Ed, UAB
B.A. Broadcast Journalism, NYU
Speech Communication Concentration
Certifications:
NJ & NY State Certification for Elementary School N-8
NJ State Certification for Bilingual/Bicultural Education
NJ State Certification for English as a Second Language
Certified in Orton-Gillingham
27+ Years of Teaching Experience in both public and private schools
Gabriella Kim
B.A. Early Childhood Ed,
Ewha Womans University
Certifications:
Kindergarten Teacher Grade II Lifelong Educator Level 2 Korean School Teacher
18+ Years of Teaching Experience
8+ Years of Managerial Experience
Julia Kim
B.S. Computer Engineering, University of South Florida
Political Science and Diplomatic, Ewha Womans University
17+ Years of Managerial Experience
Angela Kim
B.S. Statistics
Han-Sin University
Certifications:
CDA (Child Development Associate)
Child Emotional Intelligence Development Certificate
Montessori Infant & Toddler
Art Therapy Certificate
Teaching Specialist in Korean Language Lifelong Educator Level 2
14+ Years of Teaching Experience
Silvana Tabacchi
M.S.E.D - Master of Science in Education
St. Thomas Aquinas College
B.A. English
(Writing Concentration)
William Paterson University
Certifications:
NJ State Certification for Elementary School N - 8
NJ State Certification for Language Arts/Literacy Grades 5 - 8
NJ State Certification of the Handicapped
22+ years of Teaching Experience in both private and public schools.
Veronica Lee
B.A. Teaching Degree
English Education
Chung-Ang University
Certifications:
Korea Corner's Certificate Child Emotional Intelligence Development Certificate
CDA (Child Development Associate)
English Instructor at Elementary School in Korea
16+ Years of Teaching Experience
Rachel Song
B.A. Department of Child Welfare
Minor: Counseling
Seoul Han Young University
Certifications:
Childcare Center Director's License
Childcare Teacher Level 1 Certificate
Social Worker Level 1 Certificate
10+ years of Teaching Experience
Lucia Lee
M.A. Journalism
Korea University
B.A. Italian/Communication,
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Certifications:
Teaching License
Korean Language Instructor
4+years of Teaching Experience at Korean School
5 years of Corporate Experience at LG Uplus (Comms/PR)
SooJung Jung
M.A. Linguistics Education
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
B.A. French Education
Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Certifications:
High School Teaching License
English & French Dual License
TESOL Certificate
5+ years of Teaching Experience at Preschool in NJ
5+ years of Teaching at High School in Korea
Amy Choi
B.A. Child Development and Education
B.A English Literature
B.S Family and Consumer Science
Daejeon University
Certifications:
Childcare Center Director's License
Childcare Teacher Level 1 Certificate
Korean School Teacher
Level 2
Infant & Toddler Special Education Certificate
Middle & High School Teacher License
22+ years of Teaching Experience in Korea
Kelly Yi
Associate in Accounting
5+ years of Childcare/Preschool Teaching Experience in NJ
Infant Care Experience
Mommy & Baby Home Care Experience
Ellie Shin
M.F.A Fashion Textile Design,
Han Yang University
A.A.S Fashion Design,
Parsons School of Design
B.M.F Textile Design,
Han Yang University
Kaywon School of Art & Design
Design with Kids Lecturer
Hyup Sung University
Esther Kim
Associate in Nursing,
Daedong College of Nursing
Certifications:
Registered Professional Nurse in the State of New York
Registered Professional Nurse in South Korea
Teacher Certificate Level 2 in South Korea
8 Years of Registered Nurse Experience
Pediatrics and Neonatal Room in Hospital
Elementary School Nurse in South Korea
Luna Kim
Ph.D.C. Management Information System, PNU.
M.A. Business Administration, PNU.
B.S. Business Administration, PNU.
2+ years of Teacher Experience at Preschool in NJ
10+ years of Teaching Experience
as Adjunct Professor
Sunha Park
Korean Traditional Music,
Dankook University
Certifications:
Childcare Center Teacher License,
Hanyang University
Kindergarten Assistant Teaching Experience in Korea
Preschool Teacher Experience in NJ
PAVA World President of New Jersey
Assistant Teacher for Korean Schools
Head Master J Kim
Founder & Owner
Chuncheon Korea Open Taekwondo Championship 1st place
Korea University Championship 1st place
2014 Kukkiwon Cup Best School
2016 President's Cup Best School &
Demo Team Performance 1st place
2018 NY Open Championship Best School
2019 Big East Championship Best School
Julie Lee
Founding Member of Cho Seung-mi Missionary
College of Performing Arts and Sports,
Hanyang University
Ballet
More than 300 performances
in Korea, China, Russia, the United States, etc.
Instructor of the Ballet Academy
Coach Len
Lead Coach and Player of World Class FC and Founder of DreamK Soccer
Certifications:
USSF (U.S. Soccer Federation) License
NSCAA Regional Coaching Diploma
Player, Anyang LG Cheetahs Youth Team
Player, U13 Korean Youth National Team
June Lee
Coding Instructor of The Coding Place
B.S. Chemistry, Sookmyung Women's University
Preschool Assistant Teacher in NJ
Preschool Administrator in NJ
Science Tutor for Middle &
High School in Korea
KooJoo Textile Company
iPlusOne Academy
271 Livingston Street, Unit L-0, Northvale, NJ 07647