THE OPEN DOOR PROGRAM

Our program is formulated to meet the unique needs of each child to develop a healthy self-esteem, improve social skills and meet developmental goals. The Creative Curriculum is designed to follow the topics about which a typical child is curious. Open Door uses the play-based Creative Curriculum, but also draws on other sources such as Reggio Emilia. Free play helps to develop spontaneity, creativity and the ability to make choices. Many activities throughout the day are structured play, but our teachers are trained to follow a child's lead when they ask about a particular subject and take advantage of any "teachable moments." The children learn to use the teacher as a resource and know that they are valued and respected for their opinions and input into the classroom activities. Children are also encouraged in developing self-help skills and social responsibility for their classmates.

During the day the children have the opportunity for creative activities such as art, music, physical movement, and fine motor activities which help the children learn the necessary skills to be life-long learners. We also engage the children in language development activities, discovery activities which help teach about nature and the world around us, gross motor activities to develop healthy bodies, building with many types of blocks and other manipulative toys to help develop beginning math concepts, and cognitive activities to help develop age-appropriate concept development.

The Open Door believes that children's natural curiosity and playfulness should be encouraged while helping the children learn to be responsible members of society. We want the children to have fun while learning and learn while having fun. Positive guidance techniques are used to help the children interact appropriately with each other. These methods further the children's feelings of success and thus enhance their self-esteem.

Open Door Central is accredited through the National Academy of Early Childcare Programs and Open Door East is currently involved in the reaccreditation process. Accreditation is a lengthy process undertaken every five years. It involves staff self-evaluations, staff and parent evaluations of the program as a whole, and an outside validator who confirms our self-evaluations. These national standards of quality help ensure that the children are being cared for in developmentally appropriate ways. The Open Door is a Texas Rising Star provider, the highest designation of WorkSource Childcare Solutions.