The Hatch Early Learning Blog

Get the latest early childhood learning blogs from the Hatch Early Learning Experts

From The Experts: Your Autism Questions Answered

Kay Holman, Ph.D.
Dec. 30, 2020

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:

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How Can Technology Create A Closer Connection Between Classroom And Home?

Brian Mills
Dec. 30, 2020

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.

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The Transformation Of Hatch Early Learning…And Why It Matters To You

Ginny Norton
Dec. 30, 2020

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.

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4 Ways Teachers Can Help Protect Children’s Data

Hatch Experts Team
Dec. 27, 2020

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.

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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, 2020

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.

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Mental Health Awareness Month

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.

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Musical Moments

Ashley Zibit
Dec. 27, 2020

Normal 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, 2020

Do 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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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week

Ginny Norton
Dec. 27, 2020

Happy 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, 2020

What 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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A Balancing Act: A Fulltime Working Mom + Homeschool Teacher

 Leah Stern
Dec. 26, 2020

When 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!

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Working From Home As A Mom And Now A Teacher!

Courtney Ples
Dec. 26, 2020

Allow me to set the scene: I am propped on a stepstool in my daughter Lucy’s bathroom. I’m balancing my laptop on my knees as Lucy enjoys her 2nd popsicle (sugar-free = lunch?), plays, and splashes! I already feel like this a “mom win” because the popsicle in the bath makes for an almost-no-mess, very little stickiness situation! It is 11:41 AM, and I am on a conference call with my team, and because we are all working from home, our cameras are on as we connect virtually.

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What are we going to do today?

Cody Summerville
Dec. 26, 2020

Your alarm clock goes off. You have about 30 minutes until your child wakes up (if they haven’t already), and you are thinking about all of the conference calls you have today or the big project that is due at the end of the week. You ask yourself, “How am I going to get all of this done?” And then, “How am I going to get all of the this done AND make sure my child is engaged all day?”

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Recommended Practices for Distance Learning with Preschoolers

Cody Summerville
Dec. 26, 2020

As our country works together to implement practices aimed at mitigating the public health crisis caused by COVID-19, Hatch is committed to helping early childhood programs identify solutions to provide children with a high-quality early childhood education while implementing guidance from public health officials. It is important that we all implement health and safety precautions to slow the spread of COVID-19.

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The Role of Technology in Early Childhood

Christie Robinson
Dec. 24, 2020

The use of technology in the early childhood classroom has been a conversation of debate for many years. Parents and teachers alike have concerns regarding screen time and the appropriateness of using technology with our youngest learners. However, now more than ever technology can support families and teachers during this unique school year.

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Teaching with a Hybrid Model

 Juan Rosado
Dec. 24, 2020

Because of the pandemic, a lot of us teachers are starting the year off in complicated settings. Settings vary from school to school, and district to district. A lot of us have adopted a 100% virtual model, where our students stay at home, and we can provide instruction from the comfort of our own homes.

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A Safe Learning Environment

Beth Linger
Dec. 24, 2020

August is one of my favorite months of the year. Here in the South, it signals that fall is on its way and that it’s time for our kiddos to go back to school. My daughter, Nora, turned three in April and is going into her second year of preschool. Although our local school district has decided to host school virtually for the first nine weeks, my daughter’s school will be returning to in-person instruction.

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