Starfall.com
Starfall Education (2002-present)

Audience: toddlers, pre-K

Format: website

Starfall Education offers ABC games for children, “when learning to read, students who understand the basic sounds of the language can apply letter-sound relations with greater ease” (2011). The ABCs Let's Get Ready to Read is an introduction to letter sounds. This free tutorial full of interactive and audio-visual elements is a resource designed to help children gain letter knowledge and phonemic awareness in a playful manner. For instance, children can hear the variant sounds of letter “S” online or try learning letters using sign language. This ABCs Let's Get Ready to Read program is also available as a free iPhone or iPod app. Companies such as Starfall provide entertaining and educational electronic tools for this age group, but parents can also practice alphabet recognition in other ways using simple activities such as tracing letters in sand, identifying letters on signs, or playing “I spy” with children.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you like this resource you may like: Mr. Wee and Boo by WeeTeachIt

Other programs by Starfall Education: Learn to Read (early beginning reader), It's Fun to Read, and I'm Reading

TumbleBooks: eBooks for kids

300 + titles, 160 games

Audience: toddlers, pre-K

Format: website

TumbleBooks a library collection of eBooks for kids, “created by adding animation, sound, music, and narration to existing picture books in order to produce an electronic picture book which you can read, or have read to you” (TumbleBooks, Inc., 2011). This collection is impressive, easily navigated, sorted by author, title, and reading level (displays include a book’s cover, synopsis, basic bibliographic information, and reviews). One of the nicest features is that users can personalize their account by selecting favorites and adding items to playlists. These eBooks are engaging and entertaining to watch and will appeal to a young audience. The web site offers other interactive elements such as quizzes, games, and language learning (books in Spanish and French), but the books are available offline as well, users can install TumblePad 2.0 software for Macs or PC to access the books.

Reviewed by: Katharine Quinn, SJSU MLIS Student

If you liked this resource, you may like: NOOKbooks for kids produced by Barnes&Noble or iPad eBooks and apps for kids