Friday, May 10, 2013

Ooka Island Adventure - Learn to Read - Review

Ooka Island is a Learn-to-Read game for ages 3-7, or through grade 2.  Its comprehensive approach includes the following fundamentals:  phonemic awareness, phonetics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.  From the very beginning, children are involved in their own unique Ooka Island adventure!
  • First, set up your password!  Ooka uses pictures for passwords instead of words so even the pre-reader can be as independent as possible when logging in.
  • Second, create your avatar!  Have fun making your avatar look just like you, or just like a cooky alien creature.  There are so many colors and features to choose from, your child's avatar is sure to be as unique as he is.
  • Third, meet your guide, Zobot!  Zobot will take you around the island and encourage you along the way.
As the parent, you can either choose to just get started or have your child take an assessment "test" called the Ooka Compass.  Ooka is all about mastery, so your child will not be rushed along.  He can work at his own pace and progress to each level as he masters each lesson. Ooka uses a system called the Learning Flow Cycle.  Here is how it goes....

Because each child works at his own pace and has the opportunity for optional added activities and learning, it is a great fit for any level.  Whether your child is an emerging or reluctant reader, or advanced and gifted, Ooka Island can help them grow into a more fluent and mastered reader.  The instruction is adaptive and progresses at the learning pace of your child.  The e-readers are narrated and the progress reports allow the parent to have a record of their child's learning adventure.

Have fun away from the computer with the Ooka Tunes app and Ooka Island Workbooks.  Encourage your child to explore books that align with the level they are at in their program.  Reading can be fun and easy and Ooka Island can be the tool to get your child excited about mastering his reading skills.

Ooka Island offers different membership options, from individual to family to full class size.  Choose the Home Edition, School Edition, or Homeschool Edition.  Since most of my readers are Homeschool families, I will share the pricing for that option.  But you can visit the website by clicking HERE to see the pricing for all of the options.  

For a family of up to four students:  $19.95 per month OR $149.95 a year
For one student:  $12.95 per month OR $124.95 a year

For an additional 30% off your membership, just use the special link for my readers below!  Woohoo!  Big savings!

http://offers.ookaisland.com/inblog?purl=enGad 

Take this quick 45 second tour of Ooka Island to catch a glimpse at the fun learning activities your child will be using.  Buckle your seat belt!


Ooka Island is a downloadable program and is compatible with Mac or Windows.  The file is pretty big, so be patient as it loads.  I had a little difficulty getting it to load onto one of my computers, but the customer service at Ooka was right on top of things to help me out.  I contacted them with a couple of other questions as I got started and they were very quick to respond and helpful.

You should also be aware that Ooka Island has aligned with Common Core Standards.  Personally, I am not in agreement with CCS and its agenda, however, I will not boycott a product simple because they are in alignment with CCS.   I would not exclude an outstanding reading program simply because they follow these standards.  My priority is to provide the best educational option for my child and for the students I tutor. If Ooka Island is that product, then I will choose it regardless.  I realize that there are others who feel more strongly about this topic though, so I thought I should mention it.
 
Have an Ookarific Fun Time learning to read!


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Magazines.com Review & GIVEAWAY & Coupon

 "Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Who doesn't love a good magazine?  These days there is a magazine for every interest!  My personal favorites are food and homelife type magazines.  When I was asked to provide my honest review of Magazines.com I jumped at the chance!  Then, I had fun shopping at their website for my own magazine subscription choices.  I picked Good Housekeeping (12 issues) and Women's Day (9 issues).  The cost?  $10!!!!  I know, right?  Seriously, only $10 for both subscriptions.

Have you decided what to get Mom for Mother's Day?  Mom would love a magazine subscription.  This is something she will enjoy all year and every time it arrives in the mail to brighten her day she will think of you.  So, hop on over to Magazines.com and check out their selection.  Here are just a few of their titles to choose from that she might enjoy:

Cooking with Paula Deen
Martha Stewart Living
Parenting Early Years
Parenting School Years
Prevention
Weight Watchers
Working Mother
Victoria
People
Southern Living
Food Network
Real Simple
Southern Lady
Crochet Today
Tea Time
Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting
Entertain Decorate Celebrate
Taste of South
Creative Machine Embroidery
Just Cross Stitch
Quilt
Quilter's Newsletter
Sampler & Antique Needlework Quarterly
Creative Knitting
Quilter's World
Sew News
Crochet World
Creating Keepsakes
Crochet
Card Maker

Oooo, my!  That's a lot!  There are many more at the website.  To make this visit even sweeter, take advantage of this coupon code:  momday13 This will get you $5 off your order and expires 5/13/13.

Get one for Mom, you, Auntie, Gramma, and another one for you (teehee).  Pile them up because the price is right, the site is easy to explore, and checkout is a breeze.

To get in on the hoopla of Magazines.com, visit their website or follow them on Twitter and Facebook!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/magazines.com 
Twitter: @magazines


OK, the moment you have been waiting for....

One lucky winner will receive a $10 gift code to Magazines.com to select their own subscription(s).  All entries must be received by midnight EST on Friday, May 17, 2013.  Entrants must be 18 or older to enter. Due to international sweepstakes laws, this giveaway is for US entries only.  This giveaway is not connected to any social media site.  The winner will be contacted via e-mail and have 48 hours to respond.  If I don't hear back from you then I'll pick another winner, so mark your calendar and keep an eye out!  Get started now on Rafflecopter...

a Rafflecopter giveaway