Starfall.com

I showed the starfall.com ABCs to my daughter when she was 14 months. She knew all her uppercase and lowercase letters by the time she was 18 months. That's how good this site is.

ABCs (Phonics)
The ABCs section teaches letter recognition and phonics. It uses captivating animations that easily hold a child's attention. Your child will be exposed to dozens of words, which will help with word recognition when they read. Definitely good for kids 1 to 6 who are learning their letters.

Reading
Great for beginning readers. The Learn to Read section focuses a lot on phonics. It introduces short vowels and long vowels. It also introduces word endings, such as an, at, ig, og, etc.

The It's Fun to Read section has stories, music, poetry, riddles and more.

The I'm Reading section has plays, fiction, nonfiction, folk tales, Greek myths, and Chinese fables.

This website is amazing. It covers every aspect of learning to read. My daughter learned to read using the Your Baby Can Read DVDs. I have found starfall.com invaluable in helping her improve her reading and phonics skills.

Visit starfall.com

Review: Peep and the Big Wide World

Peep and the Big Wide World is a Discovery Channel show that teaches simple science and problem solving concepts to young children. Peep (a baby chick), Chirp (a baby bird) and Quack (a young duck) explore the world around them and make discoveries in the same way that young children often do.

Each segment with Peep, Chirp and Quack is followed by children doing an activity related to that segment. For example, in one episode Peep, Chirp and Quack find a balloon. Chirp, who hasn't yet learned to fly, uses the balloon to "fly" by holding the string and floating in the air. This segment is followed by children testing whether balloons will float with various objects of different weights attached.

This is the best thing about the show. You can turn off the TV and try the science activities. Kids love to explore the world around them. The show will give both parents and kids lots of ideas. The Peep website provides a list of science activities you can do with your child.

Science and math are becoming more important in an increasingly technological and globalized world. US students are way behind their peers in other countries in these important subject areas. Peep and the Big Wide World is a great way to develop your child's interest in science, math and problem solving.

My daughter loves this show and watches everyday. She enjoys doing the activities presented. Adults will also enjoy the great dialogue and humor in these shows. You can either watch the show on TV or purchase it on DVD.

Visit the Peep and the Big Wide World website.
- Games
- Science and Math Activities
- Watch a Show

Review: Munchkin Math Shapes

Munchkin Math Shapes is for 2 to 8 year olds. Unlike other educational DVDs which show a shape and says its name, Munchkin Math Shapes uses rhymes, chants and hand movements. This interactive approach makes it easier for young children to learn and retain information. A sample chant is "a pentagon has 5 5 5 sides." The DVD includes two cute characters, Zoid and Pent. Young children perform the chants and hand movements.

This DVD teaches:
- Basic Shapes - Square, Triange, etc.
- Advanced Shapes - Rhombus, Trapezoid, Pentagon, etc.
- 2D and 3D Shapes - Cylinder, Cube, etc.
- Open and Closed Shapes

This DVD is 22 minutes in length. I highly recommend Munchkin Math Shapes. My daughter loves it and is quickly learning the concepts.

Munchkin Math was created by educator Wendy Miller, who also created Standout Math.

Watch a preview here: Munchkin Math Website