Welcome to a deep dive into Ollie’s Stellar Readers™, a new, research-based curriculum designed specifically for online teachers and English Language Learners (ELL). Developed by Blue Sky Education, this innovative program is anchored in the latest science of reading principles and offers a structured, phonics-based approach to emergent reading skills. Whether you are teaching virtually or in-person, this curriculum is tailored to support small groups, interventions, and family learning environments alike.
In this comprehensive overview, we will explore the motivation behind the curriculum’s creation, its unique features, how it aligns with educational standards, and practical ways to implement it in your classroom or home. Plus, we’ll highlight the value of its flexible digital and printable formats, motivational tools, and inclusive design for diverse learners.
Why Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ Was Created: Addressing Real Classroom Frustrations
As an educator deeply involved in online teaching through Blue Sky Education, I encountered a recurring challenge: finding quality, engaging materials for emergent readers, especially among ELL students. Many existing resources felt pieced together from various sources like Teachers Pay Teachers, Etsy, or even Epic Books, but none fully met the needs of my students. The materials often lacked appeal or were not well-aligned with best practices in literacy instruction.
This frustration sparked the idea to build a curriculum from scratch—one that would excite young learners and meet the rigorous demands of phonics and reading instruction. The result is Ollie’s Stellar Readers™, a system thoughtfully designed to support emergent readers in both English Language Arts (ELA) and English as a Second Language (ESL) contexts.
Grounded in the Science of Reading: What You Need to Know
The cornerstone of Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ is its foundation in the science of reading. This term refers to a body of research that explains how the brain learns to read, highlighting the importance of systematic phonics instruction, decoding skills, and vocabulary development.
Many states, including Kansas where I teach, are emphasizing science of reading in their educational standards. For example, all teachers in Kansas must undergo science of reading training and pass a Praxis-like exam to renew their licenses. This shift reflects the growing recognition that effective reading instruction is critical for all students, especially ELL learners who face the dual challenge of decoding and making meaning in a new language.
One important principle in the science of reading is introducing letter sounds in small, manageable chunks. This approach allows students to start building words early on, rather than overwhelming them with too many sounds at once. Another key concept is the treatment of high-frequency words, which science of reading advocates renaming as heart words. These words cannot be decoded phonetically and must be memorized “by heart.”
Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ incorporates these principles by carefully balancing decodable words with heart words, ensuring students develop strong decoding skills while also learning essential sight words.
Curriculum Levels and Scope: From Emergent Readers to Strategic Intervention
The curriculum is structured into five levels, with Level 1 currently available and Levels 2 through 5 in development. Each level builds systematically on phonics skills, starting with foundational vowel sounds and progressing through consonant digraphs, vowel pairs, complex endings, two-syllable words, soft c and g, vowel teams, and r-controlled vowels.
Level 1 targets very beginner readers, such as preschoolers, kindergarteners on their first days, or older ELL students just beginning to connect letters, sounds, and meaning. Level 5, the most advanced level, is designed for late first-grade to early second-grade students or older learners who require strategic intervention to master phonics skills.
This progression ensures that the curriculum aligns with typical American educational standards for ELA students, covering skills generally taught through the end of first grade. However, it is also flexible enough to accommodate older ELL learners who may be starting their reading journey later.
For example, a twelve-year-old ELL student might use Level 1 materials if they are new to English phonics. While the illustrations are geared toward younger children, the core reading instruction remains effective for learners of all ages, provided they can engage with the content.
What’s Inside Ollie’s Stellar Readers™: More Than Just Books
This curriculum is a full-fledged, flexible system designed for teachers, families, and learners in various settings—whether brick-and-mortar classrooms, online platforms like Koala Go or Zoom, or home learning environments.
The Books
Each set contains decodable books that focus on specific phonics skills. For example, Level 1 books center on short vowel sounds and simple words, with sentences thoughtfully constructed to include only decodable words and heart words. The stories are supported heavily by illustrations that help convey meaning, making it easier for emergent readers to follow along and stay engaged.
Take the book Sam and the Mat: Sam is an orange tabby cat (inspired by my daughter’s cat), and the story uses simple words like “cat,” “mat,” and “man.” Each sentence is carefully crafted to maximize repetition and recycling of sight and decodable words, which is a proven strategy for building fluency and confidence.
The Grown-Up Guide
Recognizing that reading support often comes from a variety of caregivers—not just parents but grandparents, aunts, uncles, and others—the curriculum includes a “grown-up guide.” This guide demystifies educational terminology such as “decodable” and “heart words,” and provides practical strategies for reading sessions, including echo reading and popcorn reading.
This guide empowers adults without teaching degrees to confidently support their children’s reading development, making the curriculum accessible and effective beyond the classroom.
Digital and Printable Formats
Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ is designed for convenience and flexibility. The books are primarily digital files intended to be printed and folded into physical booklets, providing tactile reading experiences. Instructions for printing and assembly are clear and easy to follow.
For families who prefer digital reading or have limited access to printers, digital versions are also available. Teachers can share up to thirty licenses with parents, allowing students to engage with the materials at home while maintaining consistency with classroom instruction.
Multilingual Support
Understanding the diversity of learners, the curriculum is expanding to include Chinese translations of the grown-up guide and printing instructions, making it easier for Chinese-speaking families to support their children’s reading journey. This multilingual approach ensures inclusivity and accessibility for a broader range of ELL students.
Motivational Tools: Tracking Progress and Encouraging Repetition
One of the standout features of Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ is its motivational tracking system, designed to encourage repeated reading and celebrate progress.
Reading Badges and Trackers
Each book includes a set of reading goals represented by badges that students can earn by rereading the book multiple times. Teachers and parents receive printable trackers featuring Ollie, the curriculum’s mascot, which children can use to mark their achievements.
This tangible tracking system helps children visualize their reading progress, making the experience rewarding and fun. It’s especially effective in online or hybrid teaching environments, where physical incentives can boost engagement.
Set Trackers and Celebrations
Books are grouped into sets of three, each focusing on a particular vowel sound or phonics skill. Once students complete all books and goals in a set, they can place Ollie next to their completed trackers as a small celebration of their progress.
This approach emphasizes progress, not perfection, helping to build confidence and motivation in young readers.
Customizable Rewards
Teachers can personalize the reward system by adding custom incentives tailored to their students’ interests or classroom culture. For example, awarding a virtual “Elsa wand” or other fun tokens can further encourage participation and enthusiasm.
Additional Resources and Future Plans
Beyond books and trackers, the curriculum includes flashcards that highlight which words are introduced in which book, a teacher companion guide with tips and tricks, and a full scope and sequence for planning instruction.
Looking ahead, there are plans to expand the curriculum with engaging physical resources like printable finger puppets, character masks, and cutouts. These tools will allow students to retell stories and interact with characters like Sam the cat and Pat the rat, enhancing comprehension and making lessons more dynamic.
Word family games and other phonics activities are also in development, promising a richer, more interactive experience for learners.
Practical Implementation: How to Use Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ Effectively
Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ is designed for diverse teaching contexts, including:
- Online 1:1 or group teaching: Share digital books and trackers with students and parents for seamless remote instruction.
- Brick-and-mortar classrooms: Print classroom sets and use trackers for in-person reading practice and homework assignments.
- Family learning: Parents and caregivers can use the home bundles to support struggling readers or provide enrichment at home.
- Intervention groups: The structured levels and systematic phonics focus make it ideal for targeted reading support.
Teachers can pace the curriculum according to their schedules. The included eight-week reading calendar suggests introducing two books per week, emphasizing repetition and varied activities like reading aloud to pets or family members, practicing vowel sounds in the mirror, and making reading time fun and lighthearted.
How Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ Compares to Other Programs
Many educators and parents may be familiar with programs like Hooked on Phonics, which also use decodable books and reward systems to build reading skills. Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ offers a similar structure but with a deeper grounding in the latest science of reading research, flexible licensing for digital sharing, and a focus on emergent readers in both ELA and ESL contexts.
Additionally, the storytelling aspect of the books, with recurring characters and humorous narratives, sets this curriculum apart from many existing resources that can feel disjointed or overly simplistic.
Pricing and Access: Affordable and Flexible Options
Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ is available as a one-time purchase, avoiding the recurring fees common with subscription-based programs. The full Level 1 Teacher Bundle, which includes 15 decodable books, trackers, flashcards, and guides, is priced around $55. This bundle includes thirty licenses for sharing with students and families.
Home bundles, designed for single-family use, are also available and include three decodable books and trackers per set.
For those interested, there is a limited supply of Ollie plush toys available for purchase, adding a fun, tactile element to the reading experience.
Final Thoughts: A Valuable Addition to Any Reading Toolkit
Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ represents a thoughtful, research-based approach to emergent reading instruction that is both accessible and engaging. It supports teachers and families alike with clear guidance, motivating tools, and a comprehensive scope that grows with students’ skills.
Whether you are an online teacher searching for a structured phonics curriculum, a classroom teacher looking for printable decodable books, or a parent seeking effective reading support for your child, this curriculum offers a flexible and affordable solution.
With Level 2 anticipated for release in September, now is a great time to explore Level 1 and set your students on a path to reading success grounded in the science of reading.
If you’re interested in learning more or purchasing Ollie’s Stellar Readers™, visit the Blue Sky Education Cooperative website. Use code JILLIAN20 for 20% off the full Level 1 Teacher Bundle and Home Bundle (excluding plush).
Reading instruction doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. With the right tools and support, every child can become a confident reader. Ollie’s Stellar Readers™ is here to help make that happen.
Leave a Reply