Ima Auggie

ELECMEM
February 11, 2023
Tech Leap: Starfall

I chose to do my tech leap on an online website I found called Starfall. It is a

learning website designed for young children with learning disabilities, but mostly

focuses on ADHD. The site has been around for a little over 12 years now and is a free

service to the public. The main goal of this educational site is to help children at a young

age learn to read and even more importantly, enjoy reading. The ages that it specializes in

are preschool, kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade, as well as special education, homeschooled

children and even English language learners. These ages are important because it is

around the fundamental time when children begin to learn and could develop a liking for

the skill and hobby.

When I first visited the site, I thought it looked extremely appealing to young

children. It has a lot of color and uses a fun font. There are child friendly images on the

homepage and not so much information that it would potentially overwhelm a child.

It is very easy to become a member of Starfall via online. There is one simple tab

the user would click and it lists the different types of memberships available. There is a

home, teacher, classroom, and school membership, all varying in price, with the school

membership being the most expensive. The prices listed note that it is the price for one

year.

When beginning to explore the site a little more, I found it very easy to maneuver

through. So easy, I also believe a young child around the age of 5 or 6 could accomplish

this as well. The program uses visuals as well as sound to keep the user engaged and

focused on the task at hand. There is letter practice (with sign language included) and
reading tabs that include learning first how to read, practicing reading, and finally, more

advanced readings. If a user wants to become a member of Starfall, they would have

access to math, calendar and time work, and songs.

To learn more about this program and how effective it truly is, I participated in

some alphabet and counting work. When I got an answer correct by clicking on the right

button on the screen, an animation appeared, suddenly making me feel good about

knowing the right answer. Granted, I am a 20 year old college student and should

obviously know what sound the letter A makes, but imagine how much confidence that

would boost in a 5 year old who knows nothing about the alphabet yet.

This educational website is beneficial in many ways. It is more appealing than

simply reading off a piece of paper on a desk and it will hopefully encourage young

students to enjoy learning. Because it is on the computer, this also teaches students how

to use the Internet and how effective the Internet can be used in a school setting. Not only

are students learning to read, but it keeps students with ADHD more focused on the task

because it is on a computer screen that always has something moving on it. This seems a

bit distracting, but if the child is engaged, they will be curious as to what happens next.

I’m glad I found this site now, as I think it will definitely benefit me when I

become an elementary school teacher. If I have a student or a group of students that

aren’t learning the same way as everyone else in a traditional classroom setting, I could

use this program to help them learn in the way that works best for them.