In today’s classrooms, digital literacy is no longer a luxury. It is a necessity. By the time children reach kindergarten, they are expected to use tablets, complete online assessments, and engage with interactive learning platforms. For children growing up in poverty, this expectation can be a major hurdle. Without early exposure to technology, they begin school already behind in ways that go beyond academics.
Children from higher-income households often enter preschool having already interacted with digital tools at home. They may have played educational games, watched learning videos, or used tablets with ease. In contrast, many low-income children, especially in rural communities, have had little to no access to these tools. This lack of experience creates a digital divide that compounds existing learning gaps.
ECS4Kids is working to close that gap. When we launched services in rural Georgia, we made access to technology a central part of our strategy. Our first challenge was addressing internet connectivity at our locations. Many of these communities have limited broadband infrastructure, so we drew on our experience from similar sites in Florida to find effective solutions. Once the necessary technology upgrades were in place, we moved forward with implementing enhancements to our classrooms.
Every ECS4Kids preschool classroom in Georgia now includes the Hatch Ignite digital learning platform that aligns with the seven school readiness domains: social-emotional, cognitive, language, literacy, mathematics, science, and physical development. This play-based system adapts to each child’s developmental level and provides teachers with real-time data to personalize instruction. For many of our students, this is their first meaningful experience with digital tools, and it is making a difference.
Hatch Ignite helps children build confidence with technology while learning core skills in literacy and math. It teaches them how to tap, swipe, drag, and navigate digital environments in ways that prepare them for kindergarten expectations. Teachers use the platform to tailor lessons to each child’s progress, ensuring that all students can succeed.
The impact is clear as evidenced by our results from our ECS4Kids classrooms using the technology in Florida. Last year, the percentage of our four-year-olds meeting or exceeding developmental expectations rose from 39 percent to 81 percent in literacy and from 29 percent to 79 percent in math. These gains reflect more than academic growth. They show that when children are given the right tools and support, they can overcome barriers that once seemed insurmountable.
Without early intervention, children living in poverty can enter school up to 60 percent behind their more affluent peers. Once behind, it becomes increasingly difficult to catch up. ECS4Kids is changing that trajectory by introducing technology early and making sure every child is ready to thrive in kindergarten and beyond. Together, we can ensure that every child, regardless of zip code, starts school with the tools they need to succeed. Join us in making that vision a reality.
