A browser-based program developed specifically for education, Study Island is a widely used tool designed to meet each state’s standardized test requirements individually.
Curriculum
What is Study Island?
A browser-based program developed specifically for education, Study Island is a widely used tool designed to meet each state’s standardized test requirements individually.
A tool that supplements and improves learning for students of all ability levels, teachers consider Study Island an excellent preparatory program that suits the needs of their class without contradicting state-specified information. We take a closer look at the main components of Study Island, whether it’s suitable for your classroom and if it’s the useful tool many teachers believe it is.
Read on for our full in-depth review of Study Island, suitable for teachers across all states and with students of varying skill and ability levels:
Education resources
What is Study Island?
At its core, Study Island is a supplemental program designed to add educational value to students through mini-lessons, refresher materials, and testing. Study Island has various individual features and state-specific content, making it an ideal resource in addition to planned lessons and in-class learning. As a learning tool, Study Island provides the following:
- State-specific information designed to prepare students for testing
- Curated content that meets teaching standards
- Convenient, practical testing in a digital environment
- Customizable features designed to meet the needs of each class
All this and more makes Study Island the ideal option for teachers looking to improve the knowledge and scope of their students. This program is also valuable for receiving insight and feedback into students’ understanding and encouraging them to think more deeply about their answers. As a precursor to standardized testing, Study Island provides an environment that promotes learning through actions instead of passively listening. Research has suggested that children that are invested in their learning do better educationally, a theory this program helps to support and integrate.
How is Study Island used in the classroom?
As supplemental technology, Study Island is utilized similarly to any other follow-on material. This program can be implemented following class learning on a specific subject. It can be used to gauge the understanding of students as well as to refresh their knowledge of particular materials. For younger students, where standardized testing is a new or difficult concept, Study Island provides the first insight into what testing is like using multiple-choice questions suitable for its student audience.
While Study Island is a useful in-lesson tool, it certainly isn’t limited to the classroom. The browser-based program can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection, making it a valuable tool for parents to use with their children at home and during free study time. Implementing Study Island in a structured lesson plan is an excellent way to reiterate key learning points and help to improve grades. As a resource, it can assist the students in expanding their learning and cementing their understanding of specific subject matter.
Study Island is accessible for students across all 50 states and several states in Canada. Currently, over 20,000 schools use the program as a way to boost student learning. Study Island has reported an incredible 11 million users since its creation, with content creators in-house to produce state-relevant educational activities and tools designed specifically for the purpose.
Key features of Study Island
Study Island includes various features and options to make it a fully customizable learning tool for teachers and their students. These components are designed to offer supplementary education in line with the specific assessment requirements in each state. Here are some of the key features the platform offers:
Immediate feedback
Unlike offline testing or study, Study Island provides students immediate feedback on their testing. If they click the correct answer, they will receive a gold star. If they click the wrong answer, they will be told that they have, and the program will provide detailed information to help the student correctly answer the question. Students can then choose an answer again to find the correct option. This instant feedback allows students to realize their mistakes immediately and provides a convenient way to impart knowledge organically.
Adaptable design
One of the most significant advantages of Study Island is that teachers can completely customize the experience of their students. Depending on their current teaching plan, educators can provide students with specific content to work on – all of which are readily available on the platform. All the information is already there, with content designed to meet state requirements. It’s simply a case of deciding how that information will be used. This browser-based program offers three options: test, printable, and game mode. This flexibility makes it a suitable solution for all teaching styles, and the ability to scale the number of questions makes it easy to shorten or lengthen sessions.
Excellent accessibility
Study Island prides itself on being an accessible platform for students of all ability levels and requirements. The platform is available from anywhere with an internet connection and provides a convenient way to monitor students’ progress. Teachers can make adaptions, such as reducing the number of multiple-choice answers, to suit the needs of their class. The program works just as well for the whole class as it does for independent groups, allowing for autonomous learning without teacher intervention. For students with additional needs, a text-to-speech feature ensures that Study Island is just as accessible for children of all requirement levels.
Remediation features
In addition to providing state-based learning opportunities, Study Island matches its learning tools to specific students’ skill levels and abilities. For example, a student struggling with math exponents may achieve a low score following testing with Study Island. Should this low score be recorded, the program will reduce the questions included to build up knowledge from a foundation. Using this method, students can be ‘cycled down’ up to 3 skill levels below their current grade. For low-performance students, Study Island offers a way to slowly build up to the same level as their peers using skill-building and building blocks of knowledge to succeed.
Cheat-proofing
Inbuilt features, such as an anti-guess functionality, make it almost impossible for students to cheat on Study Island. Too many incorrect answers in a row – due to clicking rapidly through questions – will lead to a warning notice and a 10-second freeze on activities. Students are actively prompted to answer questions carefully based on their knowledge, which can benefit them in future standardized testing.
Teacher tools and functionality
Alongside all the advantages Study Island provides to students, the platform also has plenty of benefits for teachers. Data analysis and reporting tools make it easy for educators to review their student’s success with the platform, allowing for easy monitoring and pinpointing of any children needing extra support or help in the specific subject matter. Also, features such as adding new students, changing settings, and setting up classes can be done in seconds, making the platform effortless for use across multiple lesson plans. An inbuilt teacher toolkit offers hundreds of learning resources, from lesson plans to activities to videos and materials.
Is Study Island right for your classroom?
While Study Island is an excellent tool for teachers across practically every state, there is a cost attached to the use of the system. This price will vary depending on your state, the number of students, and the number of grades using the platform. But with a little room in the budget, this unique online tool can provide significant benefits to your students – especially when it comes to monitoring their understanding, development, and overall knowledge of specific subjects.
Study Island is best-suited for areas of the curriculum where standardized testing is frequent, such as math and science, though it can be applied as part of a more comprehensive lesson plan. Used as a supplemental tool – whether for homework, classwork, or an option for free study – Study Island can be an invaluable resource for educating students and reducing teachers’ workload. Thanks to the state-specific nature of the platform’s design, this program is just as accessible to students in every state without fear of contradiction for state-defined testing.
Research in 2008 has proven that Study Island can contribute to positive student achievement, particularly in difficult areas such as math. By preparing students for testing in a safe, education-led, and fun environment, helping your students achieve excellent grades is easier than ever. Study Island suggests that just 30 minutes on their platform a week is enough to see a significant improvement, though the degree to which you use the system is up to your lesson plan.
Our conclusion
Study Island is an excellent resource, particularly for students in younger grades. This platform is an invaluable tool as a supplement to in-class teaching and a way to reinforce learning. However, for older students, Study Island can quickly become boring, even when mixing up the modes featured in the program. While the repetitive nature of Study Island can turn some students off the system, this accurately represents standardized testing and prepares students in new and innovative ways.
Do you use Study Island or similar software for your classroom? Do you think implementing digital technology is the way forward for student learning and development?
