Kids get bored. As a parent, and former kid myself, I know this. But, it is something that I frequently forget.  To be able to capture a child’s attention, for a prolonged period of time is a miraculous thing.

Being a parent though, I have noticed that my kids usually get bored doing the things I WANT them to do, and the things I DON’T want them to do hold their involvement for days/weeks/months on end.

It is a cruel joke of parenting I suppose.

I have learned though, that there are a few things I can do to funnel their attention to the things I want them to do. A few subtle techniques, than when applied correctly, convince them to do what the thing that will add value to their life.

A month ago my son started working on the Ooka Island reading program.  It is a downloadable app that, through years of research, applies games and techniques to help improve the reading and comprehension in pre-school to grade 2 aged kids.

We started off gangbusters, as kids will do with any new thing.  He loved it, and told me it was more fun than minecraft.  I thought my life was perfect.  My child was suddenly NOT fighting zombie pigs, and was spending his time reading books and sounding out letters.

It was too good to be true.

I had forgotten my own parenting rules. I was excited about the app, so every chance I got I would say “Why don’t you play Ooka Island”

After a while, it turned into “You can do that AFTER you play ooka island” and eventually “If you ever want to be able to read, you NEED to play ooka island”

I made this fun and exciting learning app a chore. A responsibility.  I screwed it up.

So  I made it my mission to apply a few techniques to get him back on the Ooka Bandwagon.

Subtle Rewards: 
I had no intention of rewarding my son for playing the learning app, but inadvertently did.  Within the parents dashboard (lighthouse) you can send stickers and “great job” messages to your child.  Ooka mist is a type of currency in the game, and a reward that the child earns while playing the game successfully.  They can go to the shop and purchase items for their avatar, and it is a small bit of fun in the middle of the game.  Kids these days understand the idea of “earning” currency in online games, so when I spontaneously sent my son some Ooka Mist as a great job message, I unlocked the key of how to reward his learning, without really offering a reward.

Teach Me:
Sometimes having a buddy join you can make all the difference.  I asked my son to show me his favourite activity on Ooka Island.  By opening the door and giving him the chance to lead me through the activities, and then sharing my excitement at what he showed me, I was able to breath new life into the app for him.  I was able to see things he hand’t and my refreshing approach made Ooka island new and exciting again.

Teamwork:
Just by sitting and LISTENING to him engage with the app, I was able to ask questions, and show my support when he was successful.  His big sister playing beside him offered the same sort of feedback, and made his experience with the app less solitary and more a group activity.

Good News:
I have started sharing the Ooka Updates WITH my son. The day that he jumped up a reading level, I read the notice to him and we celebrated together! We were able to make a date to go in and read the new books, and to recognize his growth.  I want to know of MY improvements when I do something, and by not sharing these updates, I was causing him to miss out on the awareness of his improvement.

After just a few days of this, he was back INTO Ooka Island.  When he logged on for his 30 min 3x a week, he would be excited to see if he got another Ooka mist deliver, or cheer badge.  By spending time with him I got to know which activities were his favourites, and could ask him about the books we had read.

And why? Why do I care so much?  It is because his time on Ooka Island HAS improved his reading and comprehension, and that is something I can get behind!

Check out Ooka Island for yourself.  Download the app from the app store and have your child experience the first level free!  See what kind of difference it makes for you!