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How Pre-K Children in Georgia Achieved Kindergarten Readiness
Jennifer Tubb, Customer Success Manager Oct. 13, 2021This 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!
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5 Ways to support open-ended play at home
Hatch Experts Team Apr. 25, 2021When 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.
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High-Quality Play Experiences
Jenne Parks Apr. 25, 2021Fred 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!
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Ways To Entertain When The Weather Is Frightful!
Jenne Parks Feb. 18, 2021With 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!
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Ignite by Hatch™ Criteria Report And Whitepaper
Jenne Parks Feb. 16, 2021At 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!
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Classroom Software To Unlock A Child's Full Potential
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 30, 2020In 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.
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From The Experts: Your Autism Questions Answered
Kay Holman, Ph.D. Dec. 30, 2020Our 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. Read on for what they had to say:
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The Achievement Gap Is Sitting On The Floor During Circle Time.
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 30, 2020Back to school is a special time of year. There’s a frenetic, anxious sort of energy in the air, but it’s also a curious blend of hope, panic, optimism and relief. No matter your feelings on the back-to-school season, it holds a particular type of magic for teachers, children and parents.
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An Unexpected Early Pioneer In Technology For Young Children
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 30, 2020For 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.
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How You Can Promote Equity In Your Early Learning Classrooms
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 30, 2020Every. Single. Child. Deserves. An. Equitable. Chance. At. An. Education.
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How To Build A Technology Plan That Supports Early Learners
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 30, 2020Adding 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.
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How Can Technology Create Closer Connections Between Classroom & Home?
Brian Mills Dec. 30, 2020As 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.
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The Transformation Of Hatch Early Learning…And Why It Matters To You
Ginny Norton Dec. 30, 2020I 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.
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Does Ed Tech Belong In A Pre-K Classroom? The Answer May Surprise You.
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 27, 2020There's a confusing dichotomy when it comes to technology and early learners. One side of research and evidence tells us technology encourages growth and creativity and even helps early learners build positive relationships.
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Four Reasons States Struggle With School Readiness (And How to Help)
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 27, 2020Many people envision kindergarten classrooms as being filled with tiny four-and-five-year-olds bouncing into school brimming with excitement and ready for a day filled with play and learning. A lovely scenario, but as an educator, you know it's not realistic.
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4 Ways Teachers Can Help Protect Children’s Data
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 27, 2020We’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.
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Notes from the Classroom: Coding in Preschool
Nancy Kopf Dec. 27, 2020"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."
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Why Longitudinal Reporting is Critical in Early Education
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 27, 2020In 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.
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What can we do to close the achievement gap?
Ginny Norton Dec. 27, 2020After 26 years of working in early childhood education technology, quite frankly I'm a little weary of the discussions around school readiness and the achievement gap spinning endlessly without resolution.
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Why Early Learning Needs Differentiation And How Technology Can Help
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 27, 2020If we want all students to succeed we need to eradicate “teaching to the middle.” That approach won’t work because it leaves too many students out of the equation.
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Tips And Tech To Help You Connect With Early Learners
Hatch Experts Team Dec. 27, 2020A 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.
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Active Play: An Essential Element
Jenne Parks Dec. 27, 2020Running! 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.
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Mental Health Awareness Month
Miriam Genise Miller Dec. 27, 2020Since 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.
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Musical Moments
Ashley Zibit Dec. 27, 2020Normal has changed! For my family, the new normal includes my husband and me working full-time from home while caring for and educating our 3.5-year-old son. Even though we are approaching the 3-month mark of the stay-at-home order, we are still getting used to the shift in our day-to-day routines, roles, and responsibilities. Meanwhile, our son is still adjusting to being without classmates, friends, teachers, and his prior pre-school days packed with engaging activities.
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Tell Me A Story
Jenne Parks Dec. 27, 2020Do you remember asking your parents or other family members to tell you a story when you were younger? I sure do! I know my parents can still hear the echo of my whiney plea: “Tell me a story!” That said, the memories created when my family relented and told me real stories about their past, or made-up stories about the future, are among my favorites!
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Math - It Is More Than Counting
Cody Summerville Dec. 27, 2020Lily and her dad are playing outside in their backyard. They have been looking for bugs! Lily spots a caterpillar and, with much excitement, calls for her dad to join her.
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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week
Ginny Norton Dec. 27, 2020Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! (Though a week feels so insufficient.) Now more than ever, parents across the country have appreciation for everything teachers do for their children. Teachers are selflessly motivated to care for, influence, and inspire development in children. Every day, as we interact with members of our community, find comfort in books, and witness scientific and engineering feats, we see the positive impact of teachers.
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Full STEM Ahead! (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
Jenne Parks Dec. 26, 2020What is a cloud? Why do boats float? How does a car work? Young children have an innate ability to ask questions like this every day, in fact, researchers estimate that preschoolers ask an amazing 76 information-seeking questions per hour?! Since curiosity is at the heart of all innovation, the earlier we help children harness and direct their interest in exploring the world around them, the more motivated they will be to uncover the answers!
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Repeated Read-Alouds And Making The Most Of Your Home Library
Jenne Parks Dec. 26, 2020The combination of closed libraries and my son’s constant request for the same stories to be read aloud prompted me to research and develop some tips and tricks to help us all maximize daily read-alouds and repetition. Because these are research-based, we can all feel good about integrating these techniques into our daily routine!
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A Balancing Act: A Fulltime Working Mom + Homeschool Teacher
Leah Stern Dec. 26, 2020When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, working from home full-time wasn’t an adjustment for me; I’ve been doing that for years. However, working from home full-time with a two-year-old (Jack) and four-year-old (Frankie) at home was uncharted territory for me. It’s a balancing act that millions of parents are suddenly trying to master quickly and with a little bit of grace, if we’re lucky!