How do speech bubbles in your Emergent I and II books help children learn to read?
Emergent Level I and II books are written in a purely conversational style using familiar everyday experiences. Speech bubbles are used to emphasize the fact that the text in each bubble is what the character is saying. These books are written so that children understand that reading is simply conversation in print. Each book is written using a story line in order to encourage deeper thought of the text. The growth in understanding the text from the very first experience in reading, results in higher comprehension.
read moreBooks With a Purpose
Books With a Purpose As our company continues to grow, we are grateful for input from teachers. Over the years reading teachers have advised that language based, emergent books were needed that include consistent characters and interesting storylines. We have addressed these needs in the Stories of Kayla, Jayden and Boo series (Ooka Island Emergent Level books). These stories follow a storyline, and the consistent characters experience adventures throughout. The new reader meets the characters and their fun environment from the very first...
read moreDoes turning on the closed caption feature on my television help my child learn to read?
The closed caption feature creates an opportunity for young learners to connect printed words with the sound of our language. Turning on TV captions for your child when the print matches the voice like you see in documentaries and movies, transforms the TV into an educational tool to help young viewers to read. But if the TV program is live like the news, the print is usually delayed and doesn’t match the voice. It is best to turn off the caption when the timing of the voice does not match the print.
read moreFor Whom the Book Tolls
“There is no friend as loyal as a book.” Ernest Hemingway Can you remember a specific book from when you were young that instilled in you a love of reading? Think way back into the deep recesses of your mind and see what you come up with. The specific book I remember is from my seventh grade year. When I was in junior high school I was given a book by a family friend and high school senior named Joe Smith. (For the record, Joe Smith is not a generic name for my blog but a real person; a real nice guy in fact.) One day Joe handed me this...
read moreHow do you compare the Ooka Island Emergent Level Books to books in other reading readiness programs?
Ooka Island Emergent Level I, II, and III books are ideal for young elementary children emerging into reading. As you compare our books with other books at this level, you will see that Ooka Island Books text is much different. The first twenty five books are written in speech bubbles (conversational) so the emergent readers will realize reading is simply conversation in print. Also Ooka Island Books use a storyline instead of repetitive sentence patterns to build comprehension. Check out our Capabilities Evaluation on our...
read moreA Hero with a Library Card
January 15, 2009 is a day many air travelers will not soon forget. US Airways flight 1549 taking off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport made an emergency landing in the Hudson River when a flock of birds clogged and disabled the engines. Everyone on the jetliner survived and nearby boats picked up the shaken passengers from the wing of the plane where they were balancing. On a cold and wet day, the survivors praised the quick thinking, gutsy, and experienced captain, Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger for saving their lives. Later, after his...
read moreHow can I teach a class size of 15 preschoolers to read using your Emergent Level books?
Preschool teachers and assistants can successfully deliver the Ooka Island reading program. A preschool class should be divided into groups of no more than five children for the reading activities. These groups should be formed based on children’s instructional needs. In Emergent I, there are five components to the reading instruction; 1) presentation of the story; 2) discussion and questions; 3) sentence identification; 4) word identification; and 5) games related to the word identification. Emergent II utilizes the same five...
read more144 Sugar Cookies
Do you ever think back to your first job? My first job was during high school at Barbara Maude’s Bakery. This bakery was the upper crust among all the other bakeries in town, and customers frequently lined up out the front door to buy their baked goods. During my first week on the job, the owner, Paul, asked me to sprinkle sugar on the top of 12 dozen cookies that were lined up in perfect rows on silver pans. What seemed like a brainless task became a colossal failure when I accidently sprinkled salt (from an unmarked container, please...
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