Open Sesame

Schools and teachers all want kids eager and ready and happy to learn. O2B Kids gives them exactly that.

Numerous studies show that education, quite literally, begins at birth. Experiences wire the brain and start creating pathways to learning. O2B Kids is a Preschool with Daycare mixed in designed to create experiences that take advantage of those critical, early learning opportunities. How critical? Research shows us that education gaps can occur as early as eighteen months!

The key to the success of O2B Kids—there are 63 locations in six states now and growing—is that they make learning fun. Their newest location, opening in Ocoee this fall, will feature an indoor playvillage, large playgrounds, and more.

Students range in age from infants to five years old and they have no idea they’re learning while they’re playing. Teachers make a game of washing an infant’s hands, for example. They sing to them, play with them, surround them with a language-rich environment. Even something as simple as building blocks can have profound effects. Put blocks in the middle of a circle of kids for group play and watch what happens. Kids begin to learn social skills, math skills, shape recognition, colors, and more. They develop friendships, learn how to share and how to work together. All the while, those pathways in the brain are growing stronger.

All O2B Kids teachers are background checked and receive 45 hours of DCF training, and all lead teachers have a Child Development Associates or higher in education. The school goes to great lengths to provide a safe, clean, loving, and caring environment—and it’s working. VPK testing at beginning, middle, and end of year show the improvements an environment like O2B Kids provides. The goal here is to be a partner with families as they raise children who are academically ready to succeed in school, socially ready to build friendships, and emotionally ready to face whatever challenges life may present.