Starfall (http://www.starfall.com/)

common sense media says

Outstanding learn-to-read site sure to engage little ones.


parents & educators say
  • 45% say it's educational
  • 31% say there are positive messages

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this free learn-to-read site is arranged in four different main sections to play, based on where your child is on the journey from reading readiness to independent reader. There is no advertising on this site, although supplemental educational materials may be purchased at the online store. And there's also a new "premium" paid version of the site called more.starfall.com.

Educational value: Screen-sized pages with large, easily clickable arrows make the site easily navigable for kids, allowing them a certain amount of autonomy in learning to read (although we recommend that parents explore websites with young kids while they're on the computer).
Positive messages: Kids will get positive messages about reading through the names of sections (It's Fun to Read and I'm Reading), smiling faces, and the diversity of reading material.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Online store but no ads within kids' content.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Privacy & safety: No personal information is required or requested to view educational content.  

More on Starfall

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
  • This site is geared toward little kids just learning to use the computer. Learn how to set computer time limits now.

     

  • There are numerous ways to encourage children of all ages to become and continue to be readers. Check out Common Sense Media's expert article on How to Get Your Kids Reading.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

The phonics-based website STARFALL offers an outstanding free learn-to-read method based on numerous studies and educational research. Practice letter sounds, word recognition, and reading comprehension through online books, songs, rhymes and other games. When kids read a storybook online, the site reads it back to them as if it was sounding it out like new readers do. The site also offers numerous resources for parents and teachers and a paid version geared toward use at home ($35) or school ($70).


This review was written by Dana Villamagna
 
 

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What parents & educators say

3
Based on 29 parent & educator reviews:
  • 45% say it's educational
  • 31% say there are positive messages

Most useful reviews by all members

mya_mom
parent of 4 year old
 

rpaditya
parent
 
good tool to learn letters and phonics
good for teaching mouse skills and has the right balance of incentives and rewards

KZMama
parent of 3 and 6 year old
 
Both my three year old and kindergartner love this website!

CP Padre
parent of 2 and 3 year old
 
Perfect for beginning readers
Our two year old loves this website. My wife is a teacher and when the weather is bad she can sit with him for hours going through the stories over and over again. The lessons are portrayed in a way that, even at his age, he is able to grasp some of the concepts.

RachelNZ
parent of 5 and 8 year old
 
One of the best sites around
My children (4 & 6) love this site - and so do I. It's fun, interactive and educational. One of the best sites around.

aasaints
parent of and 5 , 8 , 10 , 12 year old
 
my son loves it
my son loves it so much

mskclandry
parent of 5 and 11 year old
 
We Love It!
I have a daycare and love this site for children ages 2 up to whatever! It has an ABC section that is easy enough for my 2 and 3 year olds to use and enjoy, but also offers much more for the older kids learning how to read!

mellybean1226@ ...
parent of 3 year old
 
This is a wonderful site that my 16 month old loves. It works very well on my slow laptop that I allow her to pound on. We have mostly used the young user information but she watches and tries to poke the screen to move on to the next section. There is some ASL information in the alphabet section and great little songs.

AniF
parent of and 5 , 7 , 11 year old
 
100% Wonderful.
Easy to use for pre-schoolers and pre-readers, no advertisements, interesting section on music history. This website has been a favourite in our house for years, and we have recommended it to our preschool too.This website is just about as PERFECT as perfect gets!

rebma97
teen, 14 years old
 
Very cute
My sister used to use this when she was younger. It was a cute site with fun little games in it. Kids can also learn some reading on Starfall. I think it's a well-made site for kids

amosua
parent of 3 and 5 year old
 
i love it , my five year old boy who hate reading is learning now.

Amyluya
parent of 5 year old
 
Great for parent and child together, learning to read.
My son is 3 years old, and he really loves this site! He has always been enthralled with letters, so this is a perfect step towards reading for him. Each one of the 'books' has clickable words that sound them out so he can start to get the hang of that. However, it doesn't actually 'read' the pages to him. He much prefers the little movies and lessons along the way. This is definitely a website that younger children will love, but it is one that the parent needs to do with the child. Plus, there are fun little surprises if you click on the characters in the story pages!

Schnauzer
parent of 6 and 11 year old
 
great for the pre-k k crowd
My five year old was introduced to this site at junior kindergarten and loves it so much he chooses it over other higher tech games.

barbee girl
parent of 5 year old
 

 
free reading help
I absence of an adult reading with a child, this is a great alternative to expensive reading toys. Allows child to read words they know as well as get help help sounding out words they don't know.

girlswrite
kid, 13 years old
 
My brother loves it
my brother gose there all the time he learned his alphabet there so good

ckmidwife
parent of 6 and 8 year old
 
A Winner
This is one of our staple websites, a bit repetitive after a while but when cycled every few weeks the kids enjoy the activities.

 
Teaches Letters & Numbers
LOVE this website. I started using it in my classroom and now I use it at home with my two year old. He loves going through the letters, numbers, sound machines, and games. Purchased the More Starfall subscription to use at home. My son says every day, "Let's do letters and numbers!!" (on starfall)

piatt lake
educator and parent of and 4 , 7 , 7 year old
 
Well Done
Simple to use, effective and fun. My experience is with five year old twins (Boy and Girl). I can't imagine a better 'learn to read' site. Well done.

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About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age