to use or not to use....that is the question

On Monday, our class was told we were going to be evaluating a website that we could one day use in our classroom. This was a big project because we all want to have successful classrooms; therefore we want/need to pick the right tools to use. Each student was to pick a different website and complete the evaluation form given to us. I choose to evaluate starfall.com.

StarFall is a website that can be used in the lower grade classrooms. It is meant to help Kindergarten through second graders learn to read. I found this website to be very useful in the aspect of learning to read. There are many different links to different short stories and games that help children learn the basics about reading and phonics. There are also many other links that show fun ways for kids to read and ways to get them interested in reading. This site is very interactive and easy for children to navigate through. The font is large enough, the colors are bright but not distracting, and there is also sound to go along with many of the games. I think that if I end up teaching a younger classroom this website will definitely be one that will be used.

There are not only links to help children learn, but also links for teachers and parents. Teachers can get on and look at different curriculum's that could be used in the class. Parents and teachers can also download printable handouts that can be used at home or in the classroom. The only thing you need to have in order to download these files is Adobe Reader. One draw back of this website is that you need fast internet connection. If you have a slower internet connection, it might take some of the games and movies a little longer to download.

Overall this website is a great tool for young readers and if you would like to check it out the website is http://www.starfall.com/.