Starfall Website Analysis

Starfall Website. Star fall is a website created to make an environment where children can have learning to read. A place where children can “learn math and reading through exploration.” A man by the name, Stephen Schultz, who as a child struggled to read, created Starfall on August 2002. The Starfall web based program offers reading and math activities, songs, and books for children in Pre-K through the second grade. Its purpose is child targeted practice. Starfall offers its basic program online for free. You can use it right on the web page or download it to your phone or tablet. I found the website very useful, it had parent and educator resources. A more advanced version is available for purchase to parents and educators in the classroom
At a first glance I saw four main tabs – ABC’s, Learn to Read, It’s Fun to Read, and I’m Reading. These are stages pre-k being ABC’s and you go on as you learn and progress. My only concern with this website was that it required a lot of mouse use. I can see how younger children can struggle with it, but as they get older and more practice, fine motor skills are being put to the test. I read many reviews from parents and teacher on various different websites stating that their child(ren) enjoyed using the website, they used from pre-k through the second grade, that their child enjoys reading, and stated it was very easy and clear for them to use. One parent that stood out was a parent that used Starfall as a child and loved it, now has children of her own who use it. The only negative that I read was when the child was under the age of two and trying to use the mouse on the
I believe technology should be used in moderation for children. I don’t agree with parents just giving their phones to their children because they need them quiet, or to sit still. For children to be at home and siting with a tablet or on a computer to coming to school and doing the same is hard for a teacher. I personally don’t have “technology” in my classroom that the children have access too. But the technology is growing quicker each day, we use it literally every day of our lives, it’s inevitable. Kids are drawn to video games anyway so we might as well put something educational. We have no choice but to go along for the ride. Everything said and done in a preschool setting should be done with meaning. The advantages of using technology in the classroom are far greater than the disadvantages. As a class we all learn the same thing TOGETHER, and in the back of our mind is the fact that not all our children are at the same level in their learning. This is where tech comes in, game apps are able to adjust to the specific level the child is in. In Starfall a child is able access, practice and explore individual letters and sounds A-Z. This give a child the opportunity to try and learn alone and their own