"We had one older autistic student that was kind of quiet and reserved. He was one of those that when you walked into the room, he would put his head down on his desk, and didn’t have a lot to say to people until he got to know you. He could read on about a second grade level. And I have seen him actually at the TeachSmart board, using the pointer and reading out loud in front of people. That was a huge step for him."

– Stephanie Clausel, Director, Alcorn (MS) School District

"Hatch technology has helped our special needs students show that they can exceed expectations of their capabilities. I have some students that are pretty amazing. One of my students, he graduated year before last, didn’t have a lot of fine motor skills, but the Hatch computer really helped him, first using the touch screen and then using the mouse. It just so happened that his sister, who was in a general ed program, was here and we were stuck in the classroom together during a snowstorm. Her mom had called to see how they were and how they were progressing. I had her brother on the Hatch computer doing the activities and she told her mother. It allowed his mother to see that he could interact with a computer. This was just great timing that the sister happened to be over here, because I don’t think the parents had really exposed him to their own home computer because they didn’t realize that he had the potential to do certain things. So that in itself was a success story that was pretty amazing."

– Linda Harmon, Teacher, Princeton High School, Princeton, WV

Patti Rosenthal is a Head Start teacher on the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Her class of 16 children at the Durant Head Start contains both a TeachSmart system and four iStartSmart computers, and this combination of the two has been a great benefit to her students. The children use iStartSmart to develop individual skills and advance through scaffolded levels. "They master the skill and it moves them up,” Patti says. She’s then able to use the real time progress monitoring available through iStartSmart to determine how the children need to be divided up for group activities involving TeachSmart. "For instance, some are ready for sounds and some aren’t there yet,” she explains. The results are evident, according to Patti. "I think it’s been an incredible aid for us because I’ve seen the improvements in the children. Without this technology we wouldn’t be making the gains that we are.”

– Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Head Start

El Campo Independent School District > Breakthrough Moment with Hatch

"We first saw the TeachSmart system at a Pre-K conference in Ft. Worth. What struck me about it was just the use of a SMART Board. Our teachers were all asking to use a SMART Board and to have a SMART Board in their classrooms, but then didn’t know what to do with it when they got it. When I saw the Hatch programs and the way the kids can interact with the board, I realized it’s a good teaching tool plus a good way to incorporate technology into the classroom. With TeachSmart, everyone’s involved in the instruction, instead of just sitting and listening. And because the Hatch software has a progress monitoring part, the teacher knows where each child is with their skills, and they also know what they need to re-teach. And then what to do to challenge some students a little bit more, too.”

– Cheryl Roitsch, Special Education Coordinator, El Campo Independent School District, El Campo, TX

TriValley Opportunity Council > Breakthrough Moment with Hatch

"I cannot say enough great things about [Hatch consultant] Leslie Mabe and her customer service skills. She goes above and beyond to ensure the customer is happy. She makes sure that we receive our requests and merchandise, even in the tightest of time frames. She never fails to make contact within a relatively short time frame once a request is received and makes herself available to our program and supports us. Our Hatch consultant, Leslie, is the reason we continue to utilize Hatch as our number one supplier for our Head Start programs.”

– Tracy Solheim, Education Coordinator, TriValley Opportunity Council, Crookston, MN

New St. Paul Head Start Agency > Breakthrough Moment with Hatch

"I just want to tell everyone about how wonderful [Hatch Classroom Installation Consultant] Barbara Trollman is! She has set up numerous instant classrooms for us and is currently installing 10 new children's computers at 8 different locations. The current job was extremely last minute but she fit us in and we got everything we needed in just a couple of days. She has always been amazingly helpful and knowledgeable! She always goes above and beyond what is expected of her and that is so hard to find these days! I want to let everyone know just how much we appreciate her and are thankful for her being our MI computer tech person/instant classroom installer, and everything else she has been for us! Thanks!"

– Debbie Chambers, Education Coordinator for New St. Paul Head Start Agency