Starfall

            Starfall (http://starfall.com) is a free, educational website that can be used to help children learn to read. However, a low-cost membership is required to have full access to all the materials. The different activities throughout the website are beneficial for children in pre-k through second grade, special education, or English Language Learners. Educational resources such as worksheets, games, lessons, videos, music, and so much more can be accessed on Starfall to learn phonics. Throughout the different activities, read alouds and highlighting is provided for children to follow or have repeated. Starfall has four levels with activities that teach reading: ABCs, Learn to Read, It’s Fun to Read, and I’m Reading.

            The ABCs level teaches all the alphabets by providing the letter and saying its name and sound. It also displays and names images that begin with the letter. Throughout this learning process, children are prompted to repeat what they have learned. As children learn more alphabets, activities are presented to solve a mystery sentence. Short vowel sounds are also learned in this level. In addition to learning how to recognize and say letter names and sounds, Starfall teaches children the letters in sign language. This is a great feature to expose children to other ways of communicating.

            The Learn to Read level consists of 25 games, books, and skills that focus on alphabets, reading and writing from left to right, vowels, silent e, chunking, blends, vowel teams, lonely vowels, and y as a vowel. The games provided allow children to make words based on the pictures. This allows students to use their knowledge of sounds and blends to make a complete word. The stories, which can be read either by the student or the read aloud, focus on specific letter sounds or blends. This allows students to practice reading with the skills they have learned. The skills section of Learn to Read provides videos and demonstrations of how to say specific sounds. Auditory and visual learners will then be able to see and hear how blends, chunks, and vowels sound or can be used.

            The It’s Fun to Read level consists of 7 categories: All About Me, Art Gallery, Magic, Music, Poetry, Tongue Twisters, and Bird Riddles. Each category is filled with stories children can choose to read. If they come to an unknown word, they can click on it and the word will be provided. Some stories also have engaging activities in which the child would answer or complete the sentence or words.

            Finally, the I’m Reading level consists of 6 reading genres: Three Little Plays, Fiction and Nonfiction, Comics, Folk Tales, Greek Myths, and Chinese Fables. This allows children to explore and be exposed to different types of stories. Read alouds are available if it is needed by the child. The Three Little Plays provide a video that can get students excited to create or participate in a class play. It also has plays with read alouds that can be used to demonstrate how to speak. This is a great feature, especially for the students who are shy or are auditory learners.

            Starfall is an effective literacy website because it makes learning to read engaging, fun, and bright. The various activities, stories, videos, and songs entice the children to continue learning. As they go through the four levels, the lessons and activities increase in difficulty and skill. This allows children, teachers, and parents to recognize a child’s progress in reading. Starfall’s Parent-Teacher Center also offers ready-made activities and resources or a generator to create your own activities. This is a great feature that adults will love because they can create activities that are specific, making the learning experience more meaningful.