Ooka Island

Ooka Island
Pricing: $12.95/mo or $124.95/year...there is a discount for more children

Ooka Island is a pre-K- 2nd grade learn to read Game Adventure which teaches: Phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension.

Inspired by her deaf son, educator Dr. Kay MacPhee spent 25 years developing a program to help hearing impaired students learn to read. What began as a way to help the hearing impaired with their reading became a program to help struggling readers of all ages. She wanted to combine her research and teachings with technology to develop a program to prevent and ultimately eradicate illiteracy. Considered one of the top reading experts in the United States, Kay wanted a fun environment, that would get children starting younger, work on 6,998 skills, was self-contained, rather than web-based (safety issues, streaming, pop-ups, etc) all without losing the "at the table" feel of her program. I think she has come up with a wonderful program.

Before I move on, I think there is some valuable information on the website...so rather than try to interpret it and make it into something understandable here, I will just post a few links.

Video Tour
Program Features
Parent Progress Reporting Portal
READirect
Leveling Chart

FAQs
Activity Pages
Ooka Tunes

Ok...that is all I can think of right now, but the website is a WEALTH of information!

So, we have actually tried Ooka Island before and LOVED it!!! DD had a great time going between the different learning times and then getting a play time...I believe you work through 20 minutes of the learning portions (these take you through the different activities, such as the Cave of Sounds, Alphabet Mountain, Cake Factory, and Clumsy Wacky) then you get to go choose where you would like to go on the island...such as Pencil Playground or Popcorn Library...this is timed as well...I cannot remember how long it is, but a beach ball in the corner of the screen helps your child keep track of how much time is used/left.

What we LOVED:
This is a PHENOMENAL reading program that has so much packed into it...
It is FUN and Colorful and gives further lessons based on previous work done. SO you move on when you are ready and get further instruction when needed, but it just feels like you are playing a COMPUTER game.
LOVE that it is self contained...your child is safe, you do not need to wait a long time for a game to load, no inappropriate pop-ups, etc.
I love the reporting portal so you can track how your child is doing.
I love that there are book printables to balance the online/offline approach and give you a "Real Book" to hold.
I thought it was VERY clever that in the logo, each color used in Ooka Island stands for a level in the program...
It is just really FUN to say Ooka Island...

What would be a challenge:
It is a little pricey for our budget at this time...very well worth it, but too much for us now. I get to help with that a little bit...here is a link for 30 % off any subscription rate ...this offer is good through June 1st, 2013.

Look for other opinions on Ooka Island here on 5/13