Chestnut Grove Academy: Review: Star Toaster (TOS Review)

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Review: Star Toaster (TOS Review)

My son has thoroughly enjoyed using Orphs of the Woodlands by Star Toaster for this review.

Orphs of the Woodlands is an online educational resource and game. For each chapter your child reads in the book, they receive access to learning lessons and games. These games earn them stars (or points) that are needed to care for their orphan animals from the woodlands (hence, ‘Orphs of the Woodlands’).

Lessons and games include the following subjects: Math, Science, Language, Vocabulary, Thinking Skills, Character, Life Skills and The Arts.

(Science Lesson)

The story is also interactive, as you read. There are spots where highlighted words are define and places where sound effects can be heard. It’s a lot of fun.

The lessons are entertaining, jokes are often used….my son has added several of the jokes into his conversations (there are some cute ones, like Why is Math Dangerous? Because when you add four plus four you get ate! The instructor’s voice is also entertaining. The lessons really keep the attention of the child.

The life skills section is a lot of fun, particularly if you have a child interested in cooking! We have made some really yummy recipes and have some others set aside to make later! Most of the recipes called for items we already had on hand, I only needed to buy a few things. We will be having Stomach Ache Soup for dinner tonight! (not pictured)

My son also favored the math section over the other sections, math is a strong point for him, so I think this section was easier for him.

(Math Lesson)

Since this is a program for grades 4th-7th, and my son is technically 3rd grade, I think some of the other sections proved difficult. He reads at a higher level, which is why we wanted to give this program a try. Despite the grade difference, I think this program was still very beneficial for him. We used this activity 3-5 days a week. My son really enjoyed the program, and often got on during ‘free time’.

I asked him what his favorite thing about the program was and he said “everything”! So there you have it! I think this one is a winner!

The Parent Section of the program is easy to navigate as well. You can easily check your child’s status, see how s/he has done on tasks and read the book or view the games yourself. There is one login for both child and parent, though password is different for each.

Star Toaster is offering a FREE TRIAL for a limited time. You can receive access to the first 100 pages, and access over 50 lessons/games for FREE! A 60-day subscription for up to 3 children is regularly $19.99, and $6.99 for 30 day extensions.

This would be great for any child, and could be a fun, educational, summer activity to keep their brains sharp and to encourage summer reading!