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The Eye/Ear Reading Method combines phonological development and language-rich text with comprehension activities so that all children have the opportunity to achieve effortless reading.
With the Eye/Ear Reading Method, children learn to read by using a 50/50 blend of learning with their eyes and their ears. First, they must understand that words are made up of individual sounds (or phonemes) that they can hear and manipulate. Second, they learn to associate these sounds with letters and blend them together to make words, thus breaking the code that speeds them through the foundational levels of reading development and beyond.
The Eye/Ear Reading Method includes the language-rich Ooka Island Book Series with comprehension and vocabulary activities. Children progress through a leveled and sequenced flow of books that follow recurring characters in familiar, every day activities. Children then bring their own language knowledge to the reading process and emerge into reading while developing vocabulary and reading comprehension.
The Eye/Ear Reading Method was developed by Ooka Island Founder and President, Dr. Kay MacPhee. As a lifelong educator and reading researcher, Dr. MacPhee has been teaching children how to see and hear the 44 sounds in the English language and as a result has taught over 25,000 children how to become much more efficient readers – because their total brain is engaged.
Dr. MacPhee’s first reading intervention program was recognized as one of the top rated intervention programs by the US Department of Education’s What Works Clearing House (WWCH), the leading authority in analyzing results of educational programs. Notably, in 2008, Dr. MacPhee’s reading concepts were rated #1 by WWCH for improvement in reading comprehension with young learners.
View Dr. Kay MacPhee’s reading research & publications.
Continuous assessment and comprehensive progress reports organized into actionable data for multiple end-users in real-time
As children travel through the Ooka Island Adventure, real-time reporting allows educators to monitor phonological skill development and growth in reading comprehension. Progress can be monitored at a student, classroom, school, or district level. Online progress reports summarize student’s reading skill progression and performance within the Ooka Island Adventure. The reports gives teachers and administrators instant access to their Ooka Island implementation and student achievement. Parent-friendly summary reports are available for bridging communication between home and school.
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Video Tutorial: Accessing Player Accounts and Enabling the Reading Assessment
Video Tutorial: Individual Student Reporting
Video Tutorial: Progress Summary Reports and Instructional Time in Game Reporting
An adaptive learning path that ensures skill mastery in reading for each student
Ooka Island understands the importance of starting early learners on the right path, but also ensures that they are on the right path throughout the entire Ooka Island experience. For the fastest track to reading success, the Ooka Island Adventure is embedded with an innovative learning algorithm that adapts game play according to each child’s needs. If a child struggles with any skill being taught, they are rerouted to an activity where that same skill is presented in a different way. This pattern is repeated until the child has mastered the particular skill.
The high-interest, fast-paced activities keep children motivated and engaged when they are struggling with a skill.
Using differentiated instruction through the READirectTM technology ensures that children are on the fast track to reading success.
Ooka Island’s CHEEReaderTM messaging system is an exciting feature used to encourage and support young learners in their quest to learn to read.
Easily accesible on the Ooka LighthouseTM, the CHEEREADERTM messaging system enables the account manager (parent, guardian, or teacher) to encourage and support the player with safe and fun messages from Zopet.
“Great Job!” and “Hooray for you!” are two examples of messages that can be sent to the Little Learner when they log in to Ooka Island to brighten their day.
Video Tutorial: Sending CHEEReader Messages
The OokaBridgeTM includes both online and off-line features that will increase educational opportunities between home and school learning environments.
The OokaBridgeTM is based on the knowledge that learning happens everywhere—at school, at home, even at the park!— so it’s important for parents and educators to find ways to bridge learning between various environments. Children, parents and educators can access Ooka Island online in the Ooka Island Adventure or offline with the Ooka Island Books print program that includes 95 leveled and sequenced books, instructional guides, lesson plans, and story cards.
The OOKACOMPASSTM is an optional assessment tool for children who already have a foundation in reading.
Although it is preferred that children start at the very beginning level of the Ooka Island Adventure, some learners, depending on their assessment, may be able to jump ahead on the book path with OOKACOMPASSTM.
The online assessment involves reading a book and completing comprehension questions and phonemic and phonetic activities. Once the child has completed their assessment, a detailed report is sent to the educator or parent to review.
Video Tutorial: Accessing Player Accounts and Enabling the Reading Assessment
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