Language | OliviaPrekClass

Curation Item: Starfall

Site name – Welcome to Starfall PreK & Kindergarten

General Overview

I chose Starfall as Starfall emphasis on phonemic awareness, systematic sequential phonics that are important foundation for preschool and PreK students.

It also has common sight words in conjunction with audiovisual interactivity has proven effective in teaching emergent readers.

Starfall activities are research-based and align with Individual and Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics.

Authentic Learning Experience:

Starfall is an authentic learning experience since the program emphasizes exploration, play, and positive reinforcement—encouraging children to become confident and intrinsically motivated.

Developmentally Appropriate Practices (child development, interest based, culturally appropriate):

Starfall’s content is developmentally appropriate because Starfall program emphasizes exploration, play, and positive reinforcement—encouraging children to become confident and intrinsically motivated.

Also, Starfall is an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children and is especially effective for special education, homeschooling, and English language development (ELL, ESL, ELD). It’s used widely in school for children with special needs and learning difficulties.

The founder (Dr. Stephen Schultz) had difficulty learning to read to dyslexia. He creates a website with untimed, multisensory interactive games that allow children to see, hear, and touch as they learn.

Washington Early Learning Guidelines: These activities are appropriate for the development of preschoolers as children will learn the phonetic. They will also support WA State Developmental Guidelines in Language. These developmental guidelines are:

15. Demonstrates phonological awareness

a. Notices and discriminates rhyme

b. Notices and discriminates alliteration

c. Notices and discriminates smaller and smaller units of sound

16. Demonstrates knowledge of the alphabet

a. Identifies and names letters

b. Uses letter–sound knowledge

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Khan Academy Kids (Language)

Site name – Free, fun educational app for young kids | Khan Academy Kids

General Overview

I chose Khan Academy Kids as the site emphasis on phonemic awareness, systematic sequential phonics that are important foundation for preschool and PreK students.

Khan Academy Kids have activities based on research-based and align with Individual and Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics.

Authentic Learning Experience:

Khan Academy Kids is an authentic learning experience since

the program emphasizes exploration, play, and positive reinforcement—encouraging children to become confident and intrinsically motivated.
Each activity is unique and targets specific learning standards for PreK. Whether playing by themselves, learning is engaging and exciting.
Children can direct their own learning based on their skills to complete the activities.
Children also use thinking skills as part of completing activities as it’s an interactive game.

Developmentally Appropriate Practices (child development, interest based, culturally appropriate):

Khan Academy kids’ content is developmentally appropriate because

·Their games are organized into grade levels. They are using WA Early Achiever Standard as part of their games.

·Each game is designed based on common core standard that help teachers to assess or to help students to learn various concepts in many subject matters.

·Children can be played through touch screen or a regular computer (non-touch screen) to ensure it is developmentally appropriate. Children can work on their development (fine motor skills) when they are using mouse & keyboard.

It also supports multi language (Spanish & English). The site also supports multisensory interactive games that allow children to see, hear, and touch as they learn.

Washington Early Learning Guidelines:

These activities are appropriate for the development of preschoolers as children will learn the phonetic. They will also support WA State Developmental Guidelines in Language. These developmental guidelines are: