Starfall(i think that's what it's called) is a site I use for Language Arts. Its meant for K-2, and my 1st graders love it. I was wondering if anyone else uses this site for LA?
I love it! I subscribe to their extension... www.more.starfall.com I base my circle time around it... calendar, letters, colors, numbers, songs, etc. I let the kids run circle time. I have my laptop hooked up to my big screen tv (what I call my redneck smartboard since our system is too poor to buy my class one yet other classes got theirs this year - anyway, that's another story... LOL) I put my wireless mouse on a table in the middle and the kids come up one at a time to click on whatever. I let my higher ones start the whole thing up... The kids love it. My principal loves it, too.
I put my nonspeaker on it just the other day for the first time. He was cracking me up! I didn't even have to tell him to repeat the letter sounds and sound out the words, he was automatically repeating it back (with his really cute accent). It is the perfect solution for him during center time. This year the Daily 5 is not really working with my class because they are so very low. I think that my group DRA 3 and below might wind up doing Starfall daily. They love it, and since two are new to the country, it's a great way for them to learn some vocabulary and letter sounds.
Starfall(i think that's what it's called) is a site I use for Language Arts. Its meant for K-2, and my 1st graders love it. I was wondering if anyone else uses this site for LA? Yes, I have used Starfall before and also recommended it to a lot of parents to use at home. I like how it is laid out for the younger ones to learn their sounds and eventually learn how to read. It's very interactive and guides the students to navigate around their learning.Other teachers also use it for learning circles so I think there are different ways to incorporate it in the classroom and at home as well.
I use it for letter of the week. I use it to introduce word families. Sometimes I use some of the other stuff.
I also tried it with my ELL students and not only do they like it, they were so eager to come to school the following day. Parents also shared how their kids learned to apply the letters and sounds on daily life experiences.
Our school uses it for remediation in the lower grades. I don't know anything about it, but they all love it.
I also use it as a center activity. I absolutely love it! I am going to sign up for www.more.starfall.com. I love how they have math games too!
I use it every monday. We do our letter of the week, then, on Tuesday, kids practice writing it. On wednwsday, I have them come to our carpet and name as many words that start with that letter. Thursday, I take some challenging words that start with that letter and we learn how to spell them. On Friday, we have a "letter test" where they have to write the letter then they have to write a word that starts with it, ends with it, and has it inside.
I have just started teaching, but it was one of the sites recommended for our 1st and 2nd grade before school students.
My students love it, especially my lower and ESL students. Almost all my students use it during their computer center time! I have a few high ones that are almost all the way through it and are moving on.
OMG I LOVE STARFALL! I just wish it was more ike some other sites I've tried where it keeps track of what games the kids are playing so I know what skills they need work on
A great site I really like Starfall. I always recommend it to parents. I also use it in my volunteer tutoring of ESL students. Starfall is an excellent example of free technology that helps us as teachers.
Used Starfall at Little Light House in Tulsa with developmentally disabled preschool students on a touch screen computer--fantastic interaction tool!
Yeah, I have preschool special ed and they love it!! I don't have it set up with a touch screen but we do it on my "redneck smartboard" as I call it (the laptop hooked up to the big screen tv we have). My SPE coordinator is going to try to get a smartboard for me so we can really make it interactive.
