LeonoreShawver639
Aus Salespoint
This is the second in the series of articles that I am writing about free educational websites. Starfall is a website that also provides educational fun through games, videos, crafts and storytelling while teaching basic computer skills. This website is exceptional at teaching and developing reading comprehension and phonics skills. Though it is designed for first grade, Starfall is a great website for Pre-K through second grade. Starfall.com is placed in sections for four stages of reading development, games and activities areas. It features:
o ABCs - In this section, there is an alphabet chart that kids can select each letter to find out the sound it makes and to hear it utilized in a word. There is also a row of vowels that, when clicked, teach kids the vowels and short and long vowel sounds. A sign language section teaches kids to sign the ABCs.
o Learn to Read - On this section, there are fun animated music videos teaching the letters from the alphabets and sounds that each one makes. Stories such as the following the music videos repeatedly use words containing the letters. The way of teaching pronunciation is quite creative. The "chunk that word" video is actually cute and fun since it teaches how to break words up and pronounce each chunk in order to learn to pronounce the whole word.
o Star Fall - It's Fun to learn - This section uses Art, Magic, Music, Poetry, Tongue twisters and riddles to show how fun it's to read. There is even an action that lets the little one create a story about his or her self.
o I'm Reading - It has plays, comics, and various types of stories to add folk tales, fiction, nonfiction, Greek myths and Chinese fables for the child's enjoyment.
o Games and Activities include making a calendar, holiday activities, word hunt, locate a clover and earth day recycling games. There's also more opportunities for creating stories.
o It has an online store for purchasing educational materials.
o Starfall printed material and online printouts are available in the download area.
o A number of pages throughout the site have suggestions for parent or teacher utilisation of the materials on the page.
o Stargazer - Kindergarten curriculum is a new offering of Starfall. It is a Kindergarten reading and language arts program available for purchase.
