Welcome to Red Door Early Learning Center @ LSUCC!

We know 'reputation is everything' and we work tirelessly to prove it!

With no possibility of boredom, hands and minds will engage each other with great liberating merriment. 
- Loris Malaguzzi, Founder, The Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education

Who Are We?

Red Door Early Learning Center @ LSUCC is a private, non-profit school. 

  • At the same location for 47 years, Red Door Early Learning Center is home to an incredible teaching team of 13 educators. 
  • We serve our students in a loving and supportive setting. highlighting both social and academic readiness, discovery and creativity, and awareness of one's world - in a fun and stimulating environment.
  • Red Door serves the students and families of 117 children, ages 2-6, through our Pre-School , Pre-K & kindergarten enrichment programs  and our "My Monday" two-year old class.    _______________________________
Registering for the next school year  2012-'13

- Use the "Enrollment" tab above for more information about the '12 - '13 school year.

The Red Door Program
"The capacity to be amazed, to find wonder, opens one to the unknown, and to the beauty and poetry found within the act of seeking knowledge."  

- Carlina Rinaldi, Director of Early Childhood Education, Reggio Emilia, Italy 

Red Door uses aspects of the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education. View the tab on our tool bar for more information about Reggio Emilia. Red Door does not have a daycare program. Both Pre-School and K-Kids are half-day programs.

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Pre-School  Ages 3 - 5 

4 day program only, Tuesday through Friday

Since 1964, Red Door has served the needs of our community. Started as a program for the children of LSUCC church families, Red Door has grown into a full-fledged Early Learning Center hosting 100 students between our Pre-School & K-Kids programs.

Our curriculum is a unique blend of academic & social readiness.

  • When the Red Door Pre-School experience is completed, our  students are  prepared to enter Kindergarten and/or K-Kids.
  • We use a multi-age classroom model. Therefore, 3, 4 and 5 year olds are in the same class.
  • We have successfully used this model for decades.
  • Within our program, the daily curriculum is differentiated for learners of various styles and abilities.
  • Our curriculum is full of thematic units based upon the letter of the week.
  • We focus on a variety of skills including, but not limited to:  Pre-writing, high frequency word recognition, colors, shapes, numbers and counting, art, science, character development, personal responsibility, following directions, being a good friend and kindergarten readiness. 

 Kindergarten Kids (K-Kids)   Ages 5-6

        Available as a 4-day program, Tuesday through Friday or as a 3-day program, Tuesday through Thursday.
 
          For students "bridging" between pre-school and kindergarten, but not     
yet enrolled in kindergarten 

and 

for currently-enrolled kindergarten students seeking a full-day experience.

- We bus to/from Saucon Valley Elementary School
(Extra fee applies.)

- The K-Kids program is built around discovery and the relationship of the child to their natural environment.
 
- We use art to promote learning in all of the content areas.

- Students will have opportunities for enrichment of their current Kindergarten experince.

  • In addition, we provide K-Kids with experiences in teamwork, understanding, respecting and relating to their environment, public speaking and character development.  
  • We use a multi-age classroom model. Therefore, 5 and 6 year olds are in the same class. We have successfully used this model for decades.
  • Within our program, the daily curriculum is differentiated for learners of various styles and abilities.
  • We work cooperatively with elementary school Kindergarten teachers to meet the needs of our shared students.
  • In addition to discovery and art, K-Kids work with high frequency words, pre-emergent and emergent reading skills, fine and gross motor development, basic math and printing skills and cooperative games to teach inter-dependence.
  • In the spring, our students perform in the Red Door annual
    K-Kids Comedy Night," telling jokes at a microphone to an audience of several hundred!     This project encourages the early development of public speaking skills, experience working as a team toward a common goal, showing appreciation to others for a job well done, and recognition of how hard work pays off.

    "My Monday" Program for 2 Year Olds
    Enrollment is closed for '11-'12.   

  •  Fun for your child in a school setting while you get 90 minutes to yourself!

  • Participants will gain the social readiness & academic basics needed for progressing to Pre-school.                                

    We use play as a way for children to develop:

    Fine and gross motor skills, a sense of discover, self awareness, a desire to explore, self confidence, creativity – curiosity, an eagerness to learn, problem solving skills, communication skills, socialization skills 

    To register, choose the "Contact Us/My Monday" tab on the toolbar, complete the form at the bottom of that page, and click the "Submit" button. Your deposit and/or full payment can be mailed to

    Red Door Early Learning Center @ LSUCC

    1375 Third Avenue

    Hellertown, PA 18055

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Understanding the Red Door Multi-Age Classroom Model
(Pre-School and K-Kids)

There are many advantages to the multi-age classroom approach:

1. Students stay with the same teachers for two years providing uninterrupted learning and strong relationships.

2. Classroom communities have a cooperative, family-like atmosphere where each student is respected and supported.

3. Younger children learn from older children and quickly absorb the academic and social expectations.

4. Older children have the opportunity to practice leadership and to teach the younger children, thereby reinforcing what they have learned and allowing them to make meaningful connections to their current work.

5. Multi-grade classrooms provide more opportunities for small-group or individualized work relative to ability and interest.

In order to differentiate the instruction for our multiple ages, the expectations of each age level are different.

Our three year olds are exposed to a new social environment. They are learning how to follow directions, work cooperatively, and recognize that there is a whole new world outside of their home. As they begin to learn, they look to our older students for guidance and friendship.

Our four year olds become leaders and mentors for the younger students. At the same time, they begin to solidify their base of knowledge, absorbing and processing new information on a daily basis.

Our five year olds are groomed as strong leaders and mentors, and as future Kindergarten students. Our goal with our oldest students is to be certain that they are academically and socially ready to enter Kindergarten and/or K-Kids.

Our six year olds have often been with us for three or four years. They have literally “grown up at Red Door!” They are strong, proud, and confident individuals. They are savvy and helpful, and use those skills to work in tandem with their teachers, even having a say in what topics will be taught.

Know that our directors and teachers are educated about - and fully comfortable with - the multi-age classroom approach.

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Red Door Early Learning Center @ LSUCC holds membership in, or otherwise donates to, the following organizations:

- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
& the Pennsylvania Association for the Education of Young Children
- North American Reggio Emilia Alliance (NAREA)
- Autism Speaks
- Lehigh Valley ArtsQuest
- Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce
- American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Saucon Valley
- Lower Saucon UCC

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