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.
One effective way Vallaire-Thomas has overcome that disconnect is by having her children engage with Ignite by Hatch.
After evaluating years of assessment data, Vallaire-Thomas realized her learning program hadn’t collected authentic data directly from students that correlated with Louisiana state standards for birth through five years old. So, she incorporated Ignite into the classroom, which provides her teachers data-driven, real-time reports.
With Ignite data, the teachers in Vallaire-Thomas’s program can trust that each child is working toward their individual goals and milestones. They’re also empowered to make better instructional decisions and critical adjustments to boost kindergarten readiness, while closing the gap between standards and objectives.
While the authentic data Ignite provides is important for her program, what Vallaire-Thomas values most is just how user-friendly the Ignite app is. Her teachers set aside anywhere between 15 to 40 minutes at the start of school day for children to engage with Ignite. Logging in is incredibly easy for children, saving teachers much-needed time, while the play-based learning at the heart of Ignite keeps children engaged and connected, all of which provides even more data for teachers to work with.
And because it’s web-based, children can continue learning at home. With Ignite, families now have an opportunity to see the skills their children are learning at school, which is incredibly important.
We can’t wait to hear more from Vallaire-Thomas and the growth her early learners experience by incorporating Ignite in their learning routine. As we’ve recently seen in Georgia, we’re expecting tremendous results!
