Monday, November 7, 2011

Ooka Island Adventure, a TOS Crew Review

Ooka Island Adventure is an online learn-to-read program for ages 3-7. Ooka Island uses online games that are fun for children in that age group or developmental range to teach pre-reading and reading skills. This is a product that I'd recommend for parents and teachers of older children with developmental delays because the computer games are inviting and they don't look like "school" or "work", which lessens anxiety in students who freeze at the sight of anything that looks like "school".

If you're curious about whether Ooka Island is a good fit for your child, consider the free 14-day trial.

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The graphics and games are inviting and my homeschooler, a developmentally delayed pre-teen, was happy to dive in. She enjoys computer games and if your child likes and plays computer games, I predict that they will have no problems playing this one.

My child is reading on what I think is a first grade level and I had hoped that the games would help fill in any foundational gaps for her to help her move forward. As she played, the games and tasks were too easy for her and her willingness to play quickly disappeared. If you are not sure about your child's developmental range, utilize the free trial to get a feel for what kind of match Ooka Island is for your child. It might be perfect!

My girl has been sounding out unfamiliar words with more accuracy (she has amazed me several times in recent weeks) and I do think that Ooka Island has played a part in that.

Sometimes, we get a product with a recommended age range that seems too young or too mature for what the company recommends. In this case, I think that the Ooka Island folks are spot on - this is for children who are between 3 and 7 or who are developmentally within that age range. (And I suspect my girl is reading a little bit above where I think she is.)

My one caution is to please check the system requirements against your computer. The download /setup is big and took longer than most downloads.
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Ooka Island offers a 30% discount at the moment:
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And Ooka Island makes my job easy with this cool graphic that tells you about the pricing:

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To read my Crewmates' reviews of Ooka Island, please go here.


We were given access to Ooka Island in a six-month subscription to use and review here. I was not paid for this review and am not obligated to provide a positive review.

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