What is the tool?
Starfall is a website that is dedicated to helping children learn to read and then help them become fluent readers. The website is both entertaining and educational.
How can it be used?
Starfall can be used to help students learn phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. There are 4 levels to Starfall.
The 1st level is ABCs which teaches kids what the letters look like and the sounds they make. Children learn to recognize both the capitol and the lowercase forms of a letter.
The 2nd level is Learn to Read. This level teaches the vowel sounds (short and long), and it also teaches students how to blend sounds in order to make a word (R-A-T = rat).
The 3rd level is It's Fun to Read. At this level, students can choose what they want to read from several catagories such as All About Me, Tongue Twisters, Poetry, Music, etc. Students can read a story and watch the story acted out. At the end of some stories, students can practice making vocabulary words.
The 4th level is I'm Reading. Students can choose a catagory and then choose a story to read. Most of the stories have the option of having the story read aloud. This option allows students to hear how they are supposed to sound when they read the story. There is also a tool that allows a student to click on a word they can't pronounce and the computer will say the word for the student.
Teachers and parents can download free material from the site to help students learn how to read. Starfall has developed a Kindergarten Curriculum as well.
Who is the audience for this tool?
Starfall was designed for students, teachers, and parents to use.
What are the advantages of this tool?
- User Friendly
- Reinforces Phonics and Essentials of Reading
Adavances in Level from ABCs to I'm Reading (serves a multi grade purpose) - Teachers and parents can download worksheets to go along with Starfall stories
- Starfall Store (sells their kindergarten curriculum)
- Helps students hear how a word sounds and view that word at the same time
- Can be accessed on any computer
- Not all stories are equipped with the tool that allows the students to hear the story read aloud fluently
What is your opinion on the usefulness of this tool?
I think Starfall is a great resource for students, teachers, and parents. It has a lot of materials for teachers and parents to use. Most importantly, it is a fun and educational way for students to learn the essentials of reading. I like how this program goes the extra mile to reinforce what has been learned in the previous level as students advance to the next level. This is definitely a tool that I see myself using in my future classroom.
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