The Hatch Early Learning Blog

With Ignite by Hatch™, we’ve seen children experience two levels of growth in just six months. And much of that progress is owed to those behind the scenes, like Kylie Rymanowicz, a content developer at Hatch, who works on Ignite.

Recently, Kylie shared a case study from the 2020-21 school year that highlights the growth that can be seen when a pre-kindergarten program implements Ignite as their early learning platform. Read some highlights from the case study below, and watch the full video to see more information about how Ignite can move the needle for early learners.

When it comes to incorporating a digital platform into your early learning program, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

Last week, during our webinar session, "Best Practices to Ensure a Seamless Early Learning Digital Platform Implementation," we spoke to two education leaders about their own journey incorporating digital technologies into classrooms. Therese Hunt, Ed.D., the Head Start/Preschool Education Supervisor for Early Childhood Programs for Butler County ESC in Ohio, and Consuelo Casas, HCHSP Administrator for Education for the Hidalgo County Head Start Program in Texas, recently incorporated Ignite by Hatch™ into their learning programs.

To help other educators incorporate digital tools into their learning programs, they offer these five tips to ensure a seamless and successful implementation.

Seeing a child grow in their learning is one of the most rewarding experiences for a teacher. But when it comes to helping early learners achieve success in the classroom, there’s one important tool that’s often overlooked: actionable data.

When it comes to helping children in your learning program achieve academic success, strong partnerships are incredibly important. And there’s no partnership more valuable than the one you build with families — but you may have to make the first move!

National Family Literacy Month ends today, but that doesn't mean we have to stop reading together! When it comes to instilling a lifelong love of reading among children, families play a critical role. That’s why it’s so important to encourage parents to read aloud to their children at home during — and beyond — National Family Literacy Month.

Like most early childhood educators, the main goal of Lola Vallaire-Thomas, a preschool administrator in Louisiana’s Vermillion Parish Early Childhood Network, is to prepare her early learners for kindergarten. But it’s not always easy, especially when there’s a disconnect between city, district, and state standards, and the Gold objectives her program is expected to meet.

Understanding where a child’s strengths lie — and where room for improvement may exist — is critical when it comes to academic success. While assessments will shine a light on the skill areas that need more attention, it’s more effective to identify where additional support is needed before test time. This way you can tailor classroom experiences that not only boost learning, but make it even more enjoyable!

This past summer, over 2,200 pre-k children in Georgia experienced the magic of Ignite by Hatch^™. And just in time for kindergarten, too, as these children achieved 2 levels of growth, on average, across 7 domains of learning in just six weeks — all by engaging in developmentally appropriate, research-backed play!

When I was in preschool, my grandma gifted me a wooden puzzle stool. She had the letters of my name made into puzzle pieces that fit on the surface of the seat. It was such a special gift, and one that I played with for many, many hours during my childhood.

Fred Rogers often referred to the fact that “play is the work of children”, and now, as children (and adults!) cope with the pandemic, and a sometimes scary and confusing world, the natural resource of play is more important than ever!

With unseasonably frigid temperatures and/or snow/sleet/ice blanketing much of the country, we wanted to share a list of easy-to-implement, boredom-buster activities that will help to brighten your day and keep your little ones HAPPY!

At Hatch Early Learning®, our products and resources are not only research-based, but they are also research-proven and validated. The accompanying criteria report and whitepaper help prove that Ignite by Hatch™ supports the delivery of positive outcomes for all young learners!

In early childhood education, we talk a lot about “at-risk children”. Moreover, we do all we can to identify these students through the lens of ethnicity, language and socio-economic status. This is especially true in the early childhood classroom, where so much attention is paid to managing so many different kids with so many different backgrounds and abilities.

Our webinar’s speakers are so brilliant, we wish we could have asked them questions all day long. Kay Holman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP from Towson University and Erica Solliday, M.S. and Catherine Walton from Baltimore County Public Schools treated us to an insightful look into the world of autism among early learners. But since we couldn’t keep them all day, they were kind enough to choose a few questions from a recent webinar. (If you missed this fantastic discussion, please click here to watch it.) Read on for what they had to say:

For more than thirty years, Fred Rogers beamed into homes from Atlanta to Anaheim, doing what was at the time, almost unthinkable – giving his undivided attention to young consumers who couldn’t pay for advertising, nor make donations to public television or speak on its behalf.

Every. Single. Child. Deserves. An. Equitable. Chance. At. An. Education.

Adding the right technology to your early learning program takes time and shouldn't be rushed. (No one likes a pricey tech tool that sits on a shelf covered in dust because it didn't deliver on its promises.) So before little fingers ever touch a screen, it pays to have a plan.

As I sit here patiently waiting for the birth of my daughter in less than 3 months, I all too often picture her emerging from the womb with an iPad, securely in her grip, loaded with various instructional resources ready to guide me for the next 18 or so years of her life. While I have come to realize this will not be the case, it has made me think about the use and implementation of technology in the earliest of classrooms.

I have devoted my professional life to progressing the field of early childhood education through the use of technology. Being the leader of a mission-driven organization, much of my time has been dedicated to how innovation can help solve challenges facing our field. One of the challenges we face is how to make developmentally appropriate technology an integral part of every classroom.

We’re living more of our lives on the internet and in front of screens than ever before. Every day, mobile technology more closely resembles magic: It has helped us become more connected and efficient, and opened up worlds that were once only visible in our imaginations. Classrooms have been impacted by technology just as much as other parts of the world, which can be exciting territory for educators.

"Move forward." Xavier is 4-years-old, and he is holding a tiny tile with an arrow on it. We are playing the robot-powered coding game, Matatalab, and I've just asked him what he thinks the tile means. Granted, I had prompted him generously.

Xavier's teacher, Ms. Owens, approaches curiously from across the room. "Did he speak?" she whispers. "Xavier doesn't speak that often."

In the commercial world, data capture, storage and analysis are the backbones of innovation and optimization. Knowing this, why are educational organizations slow to adopt strategies to leverage data? Educators and their organizations have some data (graded papers, exam metrics, and pass/fail tests), but the insights are limited. While corporations are able to track changes over time and make future predictions, most early education programs are stuck with vertical reporting, which only shows the here-and-now.

A new school year means loading up your classroom with supplies. But along with the usual fresh bottles of finger paint and Kleenex boxes, early childhood educators need to find an extra supply of a less tangible resource: time.

Running! Climbing! Jumping! These are important elements for optimal growth and development in young children. Not only are children strengthening bones and muscles, but they are also building their brains! Young children need time for active, full body play every day.

Since 1949, the month of May has been observed as Mental Health Month in the United States. The purpose of Mental Health Month is to raise awareness about the importance of Mental Health and stop the stigma associated with it. Mental health is defined as our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It effects how we think, feel, and act in response to events that have happened in our lives.