Starfall Education is an online digital early learning resource that is geared toward younger children, but can also be used by parents and teachers.
While the core offering features digital game-based learning, there is also a specific section for teachers and parents, filled with resources to use for instruction, including printables. With a focus on phonemic awareness and Common Core State Standards for arts and math, it’s perfectly aligned for schools.
Since this entire site is built as a public service, targeted at children, it is safe, much of it is free, and it does not require any information to start using all that is offered. And since this has been around since 2002, the amount of resources here is great.
What is the Meteor Shower Education?
star rain education started in 2002 as a resource to help children read. Since then, it has grown into a massive platform covering language arts, math, and more, from preschool to K-3.
The site is still primarily a reading resource, so the four main sections cover ABC’s, Learn to Read, It’s Fun to Read, and I’m Reading. But with the ability to filter by age group, you can dive into many subsections including games, math, historical folk songs, seasonal deals, and more.
Everything is beautifully designed with large, clear icons and titles, lots of color, and a minimalism that makes it attractive and easy to use, even for the youngest learners.
Plus, there’s a section geared toward parents and teachers, full of resources that can be printed, projected, and more. These can be used to teach students off screen or add to lesson plans. Crucially, all Common Core State Standards are aligned.
How does Starfall Education work?
Starfall Education is an open site that is available for everyone to use. That means a parent, teacher, or child can access the site and much of its interactive content right away.
Since this is aimed at younger ages, it’s likely to work best with an adult to help guide the child, although since all of this is super safe, they don’t require supervision.
While many of the resources are available for free, for the best access you’ll need to pay for a subscription service. With that, you get access to in-depth programs, like the More Phonics section that has eight modules meant to expand reading, each with a different theme to keep kids interested, from Go Outside to The Wild Life.
The modules are generally colorful and clearly designed with larger arrow buttons to progress. In many cases, there is a written example with an ear icon that you can select to have it read aloud. You click through each slide, reading and listening, without much need to actively interact in many of these cases.
To be more interactive, the worksheets are useful as they allow parents and teachers to print follow-up exercises where children can put into practice what they have learned through the site.
What are the best features of Starfall Education?
Starfall Education is super simple to use, beautifully designed, and in a follow-through style that makes kids want to come back and make more progress.
While all of the learning games on the site are great for teaching, it’s the resource site that is particularly useful for teachers. Head over to the Parent-Teacher Center and you will find worksheets, books, music, projectors, and curriculum specifics that can be accessed to print or download and use as needed in class.
When entering words, there is a handy pronunciation option that will spell out the word, repeating it faster and faster, until the whole word is heard. Everything is self-paced, allowing students of different levels and abilities to navigate as needed. This can be a positive, but it can also be too much freedom for some students, so a little guidance or supervision could benefit their experience.
The I’m Reading section is a great way to progress more advanced readers, allowing them to read short books where they learn about other topics, like Greek fables and myths, for example.
One problem is that there aren’t many reviews, which means no negative feedback, but also little customization.
This site is a viable option for class screening to help introduce letters and math to the group as a whole before working on the printable worksheets to help with mastery.
How much does Starfall Education cost?
Starfall Education offers a lot some free options, though you’ll find it’s more of a tease, with parts of modules meaning you need to subscribe for the full learning experience.
There are four subscription models:
- Home is charged at $35 per year
- Teacher costs $70 per year and covers up to six student devices
- Classroom is $195 per year which covers one class per grade
- School is $355 per year which covers all school devices
Top Starfall Education Tips and Tricks
start on screen
Project basic math and language concepts to introduce new letters, numbers, and sounds to the class as a group with engaging images and audio.
spin around
Have groups of students, or individuals, work on the content separately as a reward to encourage progress.
Print
Be sure to use the resources for students to work on the sheets so that the learning is consolidated in class or beyond, at home.
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