About Us

At Learning Ladder we know that children benefit from high quality early learning programs by gaining the cognitive, social and intellectual skills needed to succeed in life. Here, children have access to intentional and purposeful activities designed to get them ready for learning and exploration in the school setting. Curriculum is tailored and refined for individual children, and parents are highly involved in the child’s plan.

Children have just 1,892 days from the day they are born until they enter kindergarten. Here at Learning Ladder, we know that it is vital to provide care and education that exceeds the licensing requirement.

Our facilities are Step Up To Quality Gold Rated.

Hear what one of our little learners says about her time at Learning Ladder

High-quality learning and development programs like Learning Ladder provides are important because early experiences last a lifetime. These experiences lay the foundation for success in school and life.

A Step Up To Quality Gold Rated program exposes your child to:

Lower staff/child ratios. Teachers have more time to support your child’s individual development and learning. This is important because 90% of brain development occurs by the time your child is 6 years old.
Top-notch Teaching Staff. The administrator and teachers have higher education qualifications. The administrator and most teachers have bachelor’s or master’s degrees or many years of experience working with young children. These qualifications benefit your child’s development and learning.
Staff who are Life-Long Learners. The administrator and teaching staff are committed to expanding their knowledge and skills to better support your child’s development and learning.

Lesson Planning. Teachers use a written plan of activities that covers all areas of development. Our program develops a written, research-based lesson plan that provides opportunities for exploration and learning for your child.
Family Enrichment. Learning Ladder builds relationships with families. Families contribute to their child’s education plan and share information about their child’s progress toward jointly developed learning goals.
Community Support. We value input from families and the community. Each year, we communicate with families and neighborhood organizations about program goals and accomplishments.

Dondra Coleman

Owner/Administrator

As a former Language Arts teacher in the Toledo Public School System, Dondra knows first-hand, the challenge of bringing a student up to speed at an older age.

That’s one of the reasons she opened the Learning Ladder Child Care and Development Center in 2010. She wanted to do more to educate children earlier – before they even got to school. Originally, the Center began providing industry-rated, educationally-based child care for toddlers to school-agers. In 2020, amid a worldwide pandemic, the focus shifted to educating 3 and 4-year-olds so that they enter school ready to learn.

Giving little learners the best possible start in education is what the Learning Ladder Child Care and Development Center is all about. To help families make the best decision on what to look for when selecting a child care service, she recently authored her first book, Choosing a Child Care Center, The Essential Guide to Finding the Best Fit for your Family.

Dondra advocates for young children throughout the state by serving as a mentor to other Ohio childcare providers. She assists providers who aspire to educate children, not just care for them, by helping them learn the steps to become a highly qualified, industry-rated facility; which means they can attract highly qualified educators to teach young minds.

In addition to educating our youth, Dondra helps families find their forever homes as a Realtor, licensed in Ohio. She runs Donumental Real Estate Company LLC where she brokers residential real estate transactions for her clients and provides commercial space for entrepreneurs.

Dondra’s best work, however, happens at home where she helps her two sons navigate life, learning, and friendships. She enjoys traveling to warmer climates for a little fun in the sun with them, her husband, Marcus, and their mini schnauzer Bleau.

Watch her latest podcast, “Shaping Young Minds and Growing a Business with Dondra Coleman” here.