Name of reviewer (your name): Tanya Blatherwick
Name of the Website: ABCYa
Educational Product/Software Selected: Sight Word Bingo
Web Address to the Product/Software: https://www.abcya.com/games/dolch-sight-word-bingo
Publisher: IXL Learning - Alan Tortolani
Grade Level: Pre-K through 3rd
Provide a brief description of the product/software: Sight Word Bingo is a game on ABCYa
that tests a child’s reading skills. It is played like a typical bingo game. A word is spoken and
you have to click on the appropriate matching word tile. When you get enough tiles in a row, you
get bingo and win. You can select tiles based on grade level and you can select your grid size.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the product/software? Regardless of the grid
size, the game is normally very short. I played this game with my 5 year old son and each round
was around a minute long, which I thought was a good thing. After each round is done, you can
unlock more characters that appear when you click on the correct word tile. The difficulty of the
words change based on the grade you select, which is nice if you have a student that reads at a
higher grade level. The only weakness I saw with the game is that sometimes the words that are
spoken are difficult to understand. You do have the option to repeat the word, which helps.
Is the product/software easy for you and the students to use? Explain. I felt that the game
was easy for a student to use. My 5 year old didn’t have issues with the game. If a student
doesn’t have any reading skills, a teacher may have to help them choose the correct options to
click when starting the game. A student will also have to be able to use a mouse correctly if
using the game on a PC. There is a mobile version as well, but I didn’t test it on that kind of
device.
Does the software serve its intended purpose, which is classroom use? Explain. It can be
used in the classroom as practice or at home as well with a free account. The website states
that all of the games are accessible without a membership or even a login.
Are there multiple forms of media (audio, video, and textual communication channels)
that encourage the student to engage with the software? Explain. The concept of the
game is to practice sight words for reading, so there is not a ton of written communication.
There is a lot of audio communication. The sight words are on the screen and the game options
are written on the screen, but there is no other written communication. There is some animation
on the screen when selecting the correct tiles, but not much more than that.
Is the documentation for the product/software, such as technical support, instructions
on how to use the product, and hardware requirements presented clearly on the website?
Explain. At the top of the site, there are different buttons that guide you to different support
topics. If you click on “Help”, then on “FAQ’s”, there you will find the most help for technician
support as well as some information on the site. There is not a lot of information that I can find
that gives specific direction on how to use the stie.
Is the software adaptable to support specific accessibility needs of learners with
disabilities? Explain. There does not appear to be any accessibility options on the website.
Most games require audio to hear the instructions on how to play the game. Outside of the
typing games, most games require a mouse to click on the activity to function. Subtitles do not
appear to be available.
Does the software program give appropriate feedback to responses (assessment)? The
game will tell you if you got an answer right or wrong, but there is normally no grading available.
This particular game will tell you if you got an answer right or wrong but it is not something that
can be saved or submitted anywhere. This would be better suited for practice and not for an
assignment.
Can the skill levels be adjusted by the student/instructor? Explain. This game has you
choose difficulty based on grade level. The lower the grade level, the “easier” the sight words
are. You also have the option to include all grade level words. You can also change the grid size
for the game board, but this does not have an effect on the game difficulty. It would only change
the possibility for how many words you have to pick in order to complete the game.
Name of reviewer (your name): Tanya Blatherwick
Name of the Website: Starfall.com
Educational Product/Software Selected: Kindergarten Math
Web Address to the Product/Software: https://www.starfall.com/h/math0/
Publisher: Starfall Education Foundation (Stephen Schutz, Roger Wilson, Helen Parker, and
Deanna Berget)
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Provide a brief description of the product/software: Starfall is a website/app that has several
different lessons and videos dedicated to different educational topics. The topic I chose was
Kindergarten math. It includes videos and games on Kindergarten level math concepts.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of the product/software? The videos are very
informative and capture the students attention. The games are animated and are constantly
talking to the students. For example, When playing the addition practice game, you do a
matching game. If you are finding a match for 2, you will see two dice each with one dot on it.
When you select the correct tiles, it tells you “1 plus 1 equals 2.” This is highly beneficial. The
downside is that the content is limited. I wish there were more games included on this site for
the Kindergarten math section. Another potential downside is that the games may advance too
quickly. For example, if a student is struggling with addition with numbers 1-6, immediately
advancing to higher numbers right after completing the first stage may be too difficult for them.
Is the product/software easy for you and the students to use? Explain. If the Kindergartner
is able to use a mouse, they can use this website. There is also an app that you can download
onto devices that uses touch controls if it is easier. The app and the website are exactly the
same in terms of student usage.
Does the software serve its intended purpose, which is classroom use? Explain. This
website/app could be used as supplemental instructional materials to a lesson as well as used
at homes for students to practice their skills with. It should not be used as a sole lesson plan,
students will likely need additional support for each topic if it is their first time encountering the
activity.
Are there multiple forms of media (audio, video, and textual communication channels)
that encourage the student to engage with the software? Explain. The website includes
videos and games to interact with for each activity. Each lesson is a visual representation of the
material, with audio (talking and songs) and text on the screen as well that relates to the lesson.
For example, when the audio is talking about a number, the number will be on the screen. The
text will usually be animated in some way to draw attention to it.
Is the documentation for the product/software, such as technical support, instructions
on how to use the product, and hardware requirements presented clearly on the
website? Explain. If you go to the “Help” section of the website, you can find tech specs
needed to run the site, but if you are connected to the internet, the website should work without
anything special required. If you access the app from the appropriate app store, it will tell you if
you have the appropriate hardware to run it. If you go to the Parent-Teacher section of the site,
it will provide lots of information on how to use the site as well as supplemental worksheets to
use.
Is the software adaptable to support specific accessibility needs of learners with
disabilities? Explain. According to the FAQ’s, the site does have accessibility resources.
There is a separate link you can follow that has the website set up differently to allow screen
readers to read the site. It also includes subtitles to the speaking of the activities. There is also
access to keyboard shortcuts.
Does the software program give appropriate feedback to responses (assessment)? Yes.
The games will let you know if the answer you have chosen is not correct or reward you if the
answer is correct.
Can the skill levels be adjusted by the student/instructor? Explain. While the skill level of
individual activities cannot be adjusted in most cases, you can advance to different grade levels
(from Kindergarten lessons to first grade, and so on).
