Starfall I'm Reading vs Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Starfall I'm Reading
This app helps young children transition from learning to read to reading to learn. It offers a selection of stories and activities designed to build comprehension and fluency using high-frequency words in context. An AutoRead feature models fluent reading and can be toggled off for independent readers.
- Stories and activities for reading comprehension
- Controlled vocabulary with high-frequency words
- AutoRead feature to model fluent reading
- Plays, fiction, non-fiction, comics, and fables
- Audio support for fluency practice
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Starfall® I’m Reading is the fourth step of Starfall’s Learn to Read phonics sequence, which teaches the foundational skills for learning to read. Step 1: ABCs Step 2: Learn to Read Step 3: It’s Fun to Read Step 4: I’m Reading! Starfall I’m Reading is the final step of Starfall’s free early learn-to-read sequence. I’m Reading! focuses on bridging the gap between basic phonics and true reading mastery. The program expands fluency and comprehension through exercise with words from the Dolch and Fry sight word lists. These words are challenging to sound out phonetically, but represent the majority of words found in children’s texts. Familiarity with these words builds confidence and natural ease with reading. The texts cover a wide range of multicultural fiction and nonfiction stories, with clickable words and sentences for fluency assistance throughout. Travel-ready. No internet connection required. Find Starfall I’m Reading, along with 700+ additional activities and counting across reading, math, music, and more in the Starfall app. The Starfall website and applications are program services of Starfall Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) publicly supported nonprofit organization. Starfall® and Starfall.com® are registered trademarks in the US, the European Union, and various other countries. Copyright © 2002–2026 by Starfall Education. All rights reserved. Starfall apps are inclusively designed to support all children, including English Language Learners (ELLs). Starfall also provides an Enhanced Accessible Index for children with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments. For more information, please contact Customer Service at (+1) 303-417-6414.
Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.
This app helps children learn to read through a research-based methodology that breaks down reading skills into thousands of micro-actions. It offers personalized learning paths and detailed progress reports for educators and parents.
- Personalized reading paths
- Micro-action learning methodology
- Phonemic awareness focus
- Progress reporting for educators
- Adaptive learning technology
- Offline access
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New from Scholastic! A new adventure in learning to read! Small Actions. Big Results. Ooka Island transforms teaching foundational reading skills by breaking the process down into thousands of micro-actions — 6,695 to be exact. With an instructionally robust methodology and highly adaptive technology, Ooka Island actively personalizes each student’s path toward fluent reading. - Steeped in Research and Efficacy Built on Dr. Kay MacPhee’s proven, research-based concepts, Ooka Island purposefully leads with securing children's phonemic awareness while teaching phonological skills to ensure reading words becomes as effortless as speaking-so students can focus on comprehension. Dive into the research to learn more about Ooka Island's effective foundational reading program. - Reporting for Educators at All Levels It's important to know how a student, class, school or district is progressing at both a high-level and the most granular. It's equally important to make that data actionable for educators. Ooka Island’s meaningful reports are filled with the richest and most impactful metrics, giving educators the tools they need to help meet their critical reading goals. - Adaptive. Really. Being highly adaptive means seamlessly supporting all students throughout their early reading journey. With three levels of adaptability—immediate scaffolding, adaptations to pacing, and more complex interventions—Ooka Island's continuous formative assessment understands the precise moment, and the right type of intervention, to help a student succeed. - Learning After the Bell Connecting reading to the home and family has a significant lifelong impact. Purposefully designed to be equitable for outside of school access, Ooka Island can be used anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Using their personalized account, students pick up wherever they left off, continuing to make measurable progress on their own learn to read adventure.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Starfall I'm Reading at 100% against Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.'s 10%. Starfall I'm Reading also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.5). Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.'s advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Starfall I'm Reading holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 46 and 60 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Starfall I'm Reading's written reviews are positive against 10% of Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.'s.
Starfall I'm Reading ships an update every 10 months, Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Starfall I'm Reading | Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (46 ratings) — better | 3.5 (60 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 10.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 46 | 60 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 10 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 102 MB | 433 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Starfall Education Foundation | Scholastic Inc. |
Customer experience
Starfall I'm Reading
Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.
In-app purchases
Starfall I'm Reading
No in-app purchases
Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Starfall I'm Reading free?
Is Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. free?
Which has better reviews, Starfall I'm Reading or Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.?
Do Starfall I'm Reading or Scholastic F.I.R.S.T. have ads?
Which is updated more often, Starfall I'm Reading or Scholastic F.I.R.S.T.?
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