Before
planning a lesson every teacher must make sure that their lesson aligns with the Common Core standard. The earlier that teachers can get their students on the
right track, the better prepared they’ll be for the future. As much as teachers dislike the Common Core standard we have
to follow it according to the requirements for our state. One way to get students excited about what they're learning is by introducing them to a fun educational game. Starfall offers many options of activities from ABC to reading games.The website Starfall teaches kids to read with various phonics games geared towards preschool, Kindergarten and first grade. the category I choose to focus on is new and can be found to the right of the page in the more section titled First Grade Common Core Math and Reading.
What I really like about this section is the option for math activities to the left of the page (Operations and Algebraic thinking, base ten number & operations, Measurement & Geometry) to the right are activities for reading and phonics. Math is generally a subject that many students have difficulty with. When we introduce these concepts to students early on we are already setting them up on the path for success. I went through all of the math activities that are available for free without purchasing an upgrade.What I love most about the concepts being taught is that students are introduced to more difficult concepts in a way that is easy to understand they also include fun animated characters and voices.
My favorite section is the one focused on word problems because they were offered in a way that first graders could understand. If a student has a hard time reading a problem then it is read to them,it also includes matching pictures to help them visualize the problem. They even help students by breaking down the word problems into a simple addition or subtraction equation. After the problem is solved then the equation is read to you; this helps students learn how to verbally say an answer to an equation.
Overall, I would recommend Starfall for teachers to use in their classroom as additional help for their students in reading/phonics and math. I particularly think that the First Grade Common Core Math and Reading is a very helpful tool! Purchasing an upgrade to Starfall would offer kids more options for activities; I would recommend purchasing an upgrade. If we have the tools to place students on the right track early then we should be using them; Starfall is one of those tools.
