Starfall Education Foundation (Review)

My second grade daughter has recently been enjoying a one-year subscription to the The Starfall Home Membership from the Starfall Education Foundation. From day one of homeschooling I had known about this program. It was talked about online, with friends at church and among other homeschoolers. I had known several people who had purchased a membership, and loved it, but when I first downloaded the app I only used the limited free version. I was impressed with what I saw and let my kids frequent the site but the kids always wanted more since they were not able to access the entire site with the free version. Now that I have The Starfall Home Membership, the disappointment has been lifted and my daughter especially has been thrilled to have access to all of the content. 

With the membership, you receive access to not only the app but the website. In addition to the fun activities geared towards children pre-k through second grade, there is a plethora of parent teacher resources.

 I was hesitant at first to have my second grader use this since I thought it might not be challenging enough for her. I was wrong. As long as I keep on her to do the second grade skills instead of trying to get away with the lower levels then she is definitely challenged. Particularly in math. Some of the other sections are a bit on the easy side for her but she enjoys it. To keep us both happy, I tell her that half of her time needs to be spent in the second grade math section and she is free to play whatever she wants during the second half. 

Normally, we limit our video game times to only 10 minutes a day Monday through Friday. Sometimes Saturday but no video games on Sunday. Since this app is educational I did let her play a bit more than that on some days but for the most part she would play this on the weekdays as a fun break from her regular schoolwork. 

When I asked her what her favorite part of the app was, she took me to "How to Build a Robot." This game is a creative way to teach kids about place value which is perfect for her since she is learning that in her math curriculum right now. I have noticed that the skills presented in each grade level is level appropriate which is awesome because it helps reinforce what they are learning in other subjects.

In addition to the app, being a member gives you access to Parent/Teacher Resources. There are piles of printables available from pre-k up through second grade. My favorite are the customizable ones. In math my daughter is learning how to count by threes. I had been using just a regular hundreds chart for this until I realized that I could generate my own chart to help her with skip counting. I just use the simple generator and highlight the numbers I want and they show up on the printable chart. 

This is an excellent resource hub. The printable are perfect for parents of pre-schoolers and those in the younger elementary grades. There are hand writing sheets, printable flashcards, customizable worksheets and so much more. As far as the app, there is a wide variety of subjects presented to the student. I love the math first and foremost and the reading comes in a close second. It is important to note that this is a secular program so it does mention evolution in some of the stories. Overall, I enjoy the membership and look forward to continue using it in our homeschool.

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