12. The Secret Code Desert

**GAME INTENDED FOR iPADS AND LARGE SCREEN PHONES**

You will see that this is a secret code waiting children to decode! Tell children that they will become “super sleuths*” as they play this game.

Every cloud contains a number and a letter. Example: “2 = b.” The child must choose and then grab and drag the matching “number-letter-cloud” to the matching number on the plateau**. As she or he matches the number-cloud to the number, if correct, the number will turn pink, and then turn green, and make a cute musical noise. Watch the snakes move! If the letter is wrong, it will return to its place in the sky.

INTERESTING WORD FACTS:
* Tell children that a sleuth is a detective. Detectives solve mysteries.
**Tell children that a plateau is a flat mountain top; high level ground.

If you need help, click onto the Walkie-Talkie and Zoophonia will come out and read aloud the whole sentence. Zeke Zebra will then come and direct your child to the next number to match.

Once done, Zoophonia will come out and read the sentence (or phrase) again. The child’s reward is watching the animation of the silly snakes as they leave the plateau. A new game starts once they’ve returned.

Lesson Objective. The child will:

- use critical thinking skills
- use eyes to track from left-to-right
- learn word reading skills
- become aware of sentence structure, including uppercase letter and punctuation usage.
- understand that words and sentence structure get more challenging as child gains phonics and reading skills
- learn to listen carefully and follow directions
- make decisions
- learn how to navigate and manipulate interactive elements on a screen using eye-hand coordination
- have a vehicle to practice sound-blending using Body Signals if needed

About Zoo-phonics

Teach your students the alphabet in TWO WEEKS! Faster than you ever expected your students will be reading, spelling and writing!

The Zoo-phonics Multisensory Language Arts Program is a kinesthetic, multi-modal approach to learning all aspects of language arts, including vocabulary development and articulation, based on phonics and phonemic awareness.

The principle of Zoo-phonics maximizes understanding, memory, utilization and transference to all areas of the reading, spelling and writing process in a playful and concrete manner.

Zoo-phonics is a method developed to make children strong readers and spellers using a “phono” (hearing), “oral” (speaking), “visual” (seeing), “kinesthetic” (moving), and tactile (touching)—whole brain approach. Students actually learn the sounds of the alphabet and advanced phonemic concepts through an easily understood, concrete method of presentation.

Zoo-phonics uses animals drawn in the shapes of the letters for ease in memory. A related body movement is given for each letter. This concrete approach cements the sounds to the shapes of the letters. Lowercase letters and their sounds are taught first (needed 95% of the time in text), capital letters and letter names are taught later.

Zoo-phonics also provides a springboard for all other academia such as math, art, music, cooking/nutrition, social studies, science, grooming, physical education and sensory/drama.

Every aspect of the program has been field-tested and found to be effective. Educational research repeatedly supports the focus of phonics in early reading programs, as well as the educational benefits of pictorial mnemonics and kinesthetic approaches to learning that are unique to Zoo-phonics.

Currently Zoo-phonics is used throughout the United States and internationally as a highly effective language arts program.