The scores are in – 100% of the children who graduated from preschool at One Hope United Wilmette Child Development Center (3013 Illinois Rd., Wilmette) last month demonstrated kindergarten readiness, according to the Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment tool.

One Hope United’s child development centers specialize in supporting and partnering with working families to prepare their children for lifelong learning and success, starting in our infant program. By achieving kindergarten readiness, these children are meeting an important milestone early in their academic lives – and are poised to stay on track: studies show that children who attend pre-k are more likely to graduate from high school, and those who attend a center-based program, like One Hope United’s, score significantly higher on reading and math tests than their at-home counterparts.
Here’s a look behind the numbers at what makes One Hope United a nurturing environment for children and families’ education and growth:

• Individualized, Center-Based Learning: One Hope United employs the Creative Curriculum, which is built around classroom “centers” such as Science, Writing, Literacy/Reading, and Dramatic Play. Children self-navigate through the centers and learn through play and social interaction. Teachers encourage and customize each child’s education based on their individual strengths and temperament, and adjust it based on observations and formal assessments.

• Exclusive “Healthy Lifestyles” Curriculum: One Hope United’s self-developed Healthy Lifestyles curriculum promotes lifelong wellness by incorporating daily movement and teaching children to make healthy food choices and maintain good habits such as brushing teeth, visiting the dentist, and screening for hearing and vision. The Wilmette center also hosts movement classes, which encourage physical fitness, creative expression, and relaxation.

• Parent, Family, and Community Engagement: Parent involvement in their child’s learning has been linked to higher student achievement. The Wilmette center provides opportunities for family involvement in daily routines as well as at special events. Parents are welcome to visit the program and often stop by to share their talents and family culture. The center also helps kids and families engage with the surrounding community through partnerships with Avoca School District, Glenview Park District, and Wilmette Public Library.

• Accredited Quality at Every Level: The Wilmette center is one of only 6% of U.S. centers to be accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). This accreditation looks at 10 standards and criteria across four categories – Children, Teaching Staff, Partnerships with families and communities, and Administration – to provide a holistic measure of a program’s quality.

Parents can expect all of these features to be enhanced when the Wilmette center relocates to a newly updated facility, in winter 2018. Located near I-94, between Glenview and Old Orchard Roads, the new center will feature brand new classrooms, nontoxic materials including carpeting and paint, and a dedicated gym designed specifically for early childhood gross motor activities. Families who enroll children now at the current location are guaranteed a space in the new child development center.

Families who live or work nearby may also consider One Hope United’s Des Plaines (9375 Church St., Des Plaines) and O’Hare (2300 E Devon Ave, Suite 171, Des Plaines) centers, both of which are also NAEYC accredited. For more information, visit onehopechilddevelopment.org.