Hidden between the bustling cities of New York and Philadelphia, the jigsaw puzzle-shaped state of New Jersey is home to an extraordinary crew of children, known as the "Book Buccaneers." Lead by their enchanting captain, a cool imaginary character named Jovial Jersey, the Book Buccaneers are famous for their love for reading. Jersey, with his flamboyantly tall hat and eyeglasses as large as pizza pies, is no ordinary captain. With a hearty laugh that sounds like a mix between a hiccup and a sneeze, he guides the kids through uncharted territories of imagination and knowledge, sailing on a ship made entirely of books! These swashbuckling, book-loving kids hail from the sandy beaches of Cape May to the towering cliffs of the Palisades. Their adventures take them through the Pine Barrens, where they read about mythical creatures under the whispering pines, and to the streets of Princeton, where they browse through stories in the university's ancient libraries. A diverse crew they are, with each Buccaneer passionate about a different genre. Some are cupcake-faced detectives who solve mysteries just by flipping pages, while others are pony-tailed princesses who dive into enchanting fairy tales. Yet, they all share the same thrilling love for words, pages, and the magic that springs from them. The Book Buccaneers can turn even the grumpiest of grown-ups into giggling bookworms with their infectious enthusiasm for reading. They live by Jovial Jersey's motto, "The more you read, the more you know. The more you know, the further we can sail!" So, if you ever visit the Garden State, keep an eye out for these book-loving pirates, they might just whisk you away on an unbelievable reading adventure!
Read morebest reading programs in Paramus, NJ
What began in a humble New York City apartment with just a single student, Spark, has since blossomed into an enriching program impacting thousands of children. Our unique educational approach combines the elements of art, yoga, meditation, and nature to create a holistic learning environment. This distinctive blend is what sets Spark apart, allowing us to reach and inspire a multitude of children in truly meaningful ways. With an array of offerings to accommodate various schedules and needs, Spark has something for everyone. Our services extend beyond the standard after school and weekend classes to include holiday and summer camps, birthday parties, portfolio preparation, private classes, and custom pods. We also welcome homeschool groups and are thrilled to announce the recent addition of a forest school program to our repertoire. You can find Spark on-site in various schools and at our main studio located in the Upper West Side. But we're not stopping there - we're also planning to expand to the Upper East Side and Brooklyn. For our families in Pennsylvania, we run the program from our family studio there. And if you're not in close proximity to any of our locations, don't worry. We offer in-home instruction and virtual options to ensure that Spark can reach you, no matter where you are. We invite you to explore all the ways you can experience Spark and look forward to helping bring our program to you.
Our philosophy is to meet children where they are developmentally, and then help them get to where they need to go. We offer individualized guidance to each child and strive to make their experience meaningful. We value each child’s unique learning style and create engaging activities that foster a lifelong love of books and learning. At our school, we are committed to providing a developmentally appropriate experience that prepares children for the years ahead. We believe in making the most of the critical learning period between birth and five years of age, as this time is essential to a child’s growth and development. Our approach to teaching literacy to our youngest children is balanced and comprehensive. We use a variety of methods to teach literacy, such as reading aloud, teaching mini-lessons, using books, puppets, games, role-playing, toys, and more. We believe that by immersing children in a variety of activities, they can develop a lifelong love of books and learning. Learn more about our Infant, Toddler and 2-Year Old programs today.