Guides to Using Starfall

First Grade Reading

Starfall's unique foundational program—one of the first online reading programs!—has been helping kids learn to read independently for over 20 years. Developed and tested in the classroom, our reading activities follow evidence-based methods recommended by the NICHD National Reading Panel, including explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, systematic phonics instruction, and methods to improve fluency and comprehension. Readers at the 1st grade level explore:

Phonics: Learn to Read—Follow Starfall's sequential phonics series of 15 books with fun vowel-pal characters (Zac the Rat, Peg the Hen, etc.). Encourage your learner to read the books in order.
Fun!: Fun to Read—Learners build their vocabulary and phonemic awareness with the popular All About Me avatar, phonics magic, rhyming tongue twisters, art, music, and poetry.
Fluency and Comprehension: I'm Reading!—Scaffolding in both fiction and non-fiction texts helps to reduce reading anxiety and improves comprehension, allowing struggling readers to develop self-confidence.

Reading Along Reader's Theater & Plays Independent Reading Sentence Structure Reading Comprehension & Fluency Poetry, Riddles, & Tongue Twisters Art & Music Phonological Awareness & Phonics

Reading Along: Fiction, Nonfiction, & Poetry Show CCSS

In Starfall’s Talking Library, children enter a library where they can read along with a variety of text that includes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.