Comics Were All the Buzz This Year in New Orleans!
TOON partnered this year with educational wholesaler AKJ Books to showcase our new Comics Curriculum at the International Reading Association (IRA) Conference in New Orleans. But we weren't the ones talking comics! Many panelists and literacy experts were touting the benefits of comics, especially for struggling readers and particularly for boys. Teachers shared how their students want to read the "Graphic Novels" but they are just too hard. TOON Books are easy-to-read and specifically designed for the earliest independent reading levels. Overheard at IRA Presentations: "My basket of TOON books has helped me hook many reluctant readers - - the books are engaging and appeal to my first-grade readers who love humor and action!" –Maria Walther, Illinois Reading Educator of the Year and Speaker on "The Next Step in Guided Reading Assessment" "Comic books can be the on-ramp to grade level text for many children who struggle in school due to a 'language gap.'" –Quality Quinn, Literacy Expert and Speaker on "Access, Equity, and Urgency: Males of Color and the Common Core" "If you're looking for comics for beginning readers, you should check out TOON Books" –Gene Yang, Printz Award-winning author of American Born Chinese and Speaker on "A Plethora of Possibilities: Connecting Graphic Novels to the CCSS" Answers to Your FAQs
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TOON Books raffled off the TOON into Comics Genre Study for Reading and Writing, which includes 92 books and a CCSS-Aligned Teacher's Guide with lessons for every TOON title. AND THE WINNER IS... Ailish Johnson, a First-Grade Teacher at Superior Elementary School in Colorado who writes: "WOW! I have four TOON Books currently and my students love them. They are never on the shelf because they are always in kids hands---reading! I can get the most reluctant independent reader to grab a TOON Book on their own and read. I am so excited to be able to share with my school the magic of TOON Books. THANK YOU!" |