Parents' Guide to

Starfall

By Erin Brereton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

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

Website https://www.starfall.com/
Starfall Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

  • Starfall.com walks kids through simple reading exercises.
  • Activities emphasize word recognition, reading, and following instructions.
  • To help kids' reading skills, text is read aloud in the Make a Magician activity.
  • Starfall.com provides basic reading instruction, such as letter recognition, and reading practice for older kids.

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 36 parent reviews

Ryan J.
Ryan J. Parent of 4 and 6-year-old
July 17, 2023
age 4+

they should add disney books

My 4 and 6 and 7 year olds love Starfall the only thing is that they cannot play on their tablets because I factory reseted them and I don't remember the wifi password

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
s0sas0sa
s0sas0sa Adult
November 14, 2021
age 4+

Experience

My mom used to go to this site for me when I was a younger. It was a very fun way for me to learn. It was something that helped me in school. This site had created memories that won't be forgotten. for me. I would highly recommend it for kids. However, it used to be free back then. I believe there is now a required payment to get the full experience.

This title has:

Great messages
See all 36 parent reviews

What’s It About?

STARFALL, launched in 2002, offers activities for kids in preschool through second grade and kids focusing on English language development, special education instruction, and homeschooling. They progress through four sections: letter recognition, games, stories, and animations that showcase letter sounds, short reading selections that emphasize vocabulary, and online books that provide fluency and comprehension practice. The free phonics-based site also offers a few math exercises. A $35 annual membership provides additional activities.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (36 ):
Kids say (17 ):

This phonics-based site offers a fantastic (and free) learn-to-read method based on numerous studies and educational research. Kids practice letter sounds, word recognition, and reading comprehension through online books, songs, rhymes, and other games. When they read a storybook online, Starfall reads it back to them, 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 or school. A separate site, More.starfall.com, used to offer premium content for a price. The sister site is no longer active; users can now pay a $35 annual fee for additional math and reading activities on Starfall. But they can access plenty of free materials to make the site worthwhile without a subscription.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about screen limits for Starfall. How is this website geared toward little kids just learning to use the computer?

  • How do you get your kids to read? Are there ways to keep them reading once they're started? Check out Common Sense Media's expert article on How to Get Your Kids Reading.

  • Ask your child to point out examples of words that begin with letters shown on the site.

Website Details

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