Review: Star Toaster - Orphs of the Woodlands at Tangletree (TOS Review) #hsreviews #readingsupplement #readingapp #readinggame

For this review we used the app Orphs of the Woodlands at Tangletree by Star Toaster on the iPad. 

This is our second review of a Star Toaster product.  This product was different, in that it is designed as an application for iPad and it was geared towards younger children (a lower reading level than the other product). 

I used this product with my 7 year old.  He loved it!  Unfortunately, he is not reading at the level this program required, so he was not able to use the product on his own.  (It would be great if the app read to you!).  His comprehension is on par, so I read the story to him and I read the questions and answer choices….he answered them.  If there was a vocal option, we would have loved this app even more!

Orphs of the Woodlands at Tangletree is a story about a flying squirrel named Abba.  The nearby town has been flooded when a dam broke and she is searching for her friends and family.

The story has highlighted words as you go along, which can be clicked on and that is where the lessons are given.  As you read through the chapters, you can perform jobs to earn items that are needed to take care of the orphans that Abba finds as she searches for her family and friends. 

We found it a tad distracting and that it broke up the story to click on each highlighted word, instead at the end of each chapter, we would click on the star at the bottom and then do the ‘training’ for the jobs before doing the jobs.  (If you clicked on the words during the story, the training would show as already completed, so either way works).

The pictures for the training and jobs match, so you know which training to do before which jobs.  The jobs consist of multiple choice questions, and points are earned.  You need a certain number of points to earn each necessary item.  Pictured above you need 20 points to earn the water barrel.  Items vary, and so do required points.

These are the types of items you earn to take care of the orphs (orphans)

At the end of each chapter you click on the star at the bottom and you are taken to a Stumptown, you can tell if their are jobs available by the numbers above the houses.

You do not need to complete jobs after each chapter, but my son liked to do it that way.  They just add up over time, some chapters end with more jobs than others. 

Some of the job trainings are audio/video based, but most are reading.  Again, an audio option would be awesome!  That’s the only thing missing from this!

The jobs cover a wide range of subjects, from science to language arts and more!

You can assign more than one user to the program too, which is great.  My 10 year old also has an account on the program, and while he found it interesting, I think he found it a bit simple for him.  He enjoyed the program we reviewed last time better, it was a higher level.

This type of program is perfect for my 7 year old, because he is one that digs his heels in when it comes to ‘school work’.  In this program he is learning and having fun and has no idea it’s ‘work’. 

The app is only $1.99, and is made for iPad or iPhone.  Parents are able to see their child’s work report too!  It’s designed for ages 9-11, but my 7 year old was able to do all of the jobs without a problem (minus the independent reading).  It’s a cute story and it’s filled with humor, which make it even more fun! 

We are huge fans of Star Toaster here!

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