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The GooCharacter Connection: Reinforcement Materials

vs.

We’re working with the West Michigan Character Council to help develop a cartoon-based, comprehensive Pre-K through 12th

grade character values program for our local schools. It’s a

massive project that’s bringing together a lot of community

organizations and we hope it will have a huge impact everywhere.

Recent studies show that character values play an important role

in academic and life achievement. Even more so than IQ.

Children’s brains begin customizing their cognitive patterns well

before they start school...in fact, the process starts at birth. We

believe that helping your child customize their brain for character

at the earliest ages, and reinforcing it throughout their academic

career will give them an head-start on success in life.

And great character is one of those things that everyone can

attain, regardless of background, race or culture. We can’t think

of a better application for cartoons and we’re proud to be a

leader in this initiative.

If you’re interested in these products to work on developing

character values in your own children, we’ll be making them

available to the public as they are produced. You can check out

our Facebook Page (Googenius Applied Cartooning) or follow

Googe1 on Twitter for updates on the project and the products.

Goo Guys & Gals Graphic Readers combine the latest research in brain and behavior development, visual science, and school readiness objectives to teach your child basic character values

that prepare them, in a fun way, for success in school and beyond.

Goobert and Goolix anchor two series of 50 Character Values Discussion Cartoons that we’re developing. One set is for K-2nd grade, and the other set is for 3rd-5th grade. These cartoons will come in sheet and flash card form, and help parents, teachers and mentors initiate discussions on character. The 50 values we use are interwoven and inform each other, regularly reinforcing each character value as a part of a broader, positive attitude for life.

COUNTS OUT LOUD TO 20 (THERE ARE

20 PAGES OF STORY)

RECOGNIZES LETTERS

IDENTIFIES A CIRCLE, SQUARE, TRIANGLE

& RECTANGLE

INTRODUCES NEW VOCABULARY/IDEAS

(GLOSSARY IN BACK)

GRAPHIC STORY-

TELLING TECHNIQUES FOCUS ON ONE THEME, ACTION OR EMOTION PER FRAME, GIVING THEM CONTEXT FOR THE STORY BEING READ TO THEM. THIS HELPS THEM LATER AS THEY BEGIN TO LEARN THE WORDS.

SCHOOL READINESS OBJECTIVES MET WHEN READ WITH A PARENT OR CARING ADULT:

LIKES TO SEARCH FOR NUMBERS, LETTERS & SHAPES

LIKES BOOKS AND TALKS ABOUT THEM

CAN FIND WORDS THAT RHYME (IN RED...WORDS THAT NEARLY RHYME ARE  HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE

OVER 80 DOLCH LIST WORDS (SITE WORDS CHILDREN NEED TO RECOGNIZE TO READ FLUENTLY) ARE INCORPORATED INTO EACH BOOK.

A DRAWING EXERCISE AT THE END OF EACH BOOK HELPS KIDS TO REINFORCE VISUAL ASSOCIATIONS

EACH GRAPHIC READER COMES WITH A CD. The CD has a hoppin’ song about the character value that is the main theme of the book. The songs help children to get active while contemplating character, fixing their cognitive grasp of the material.

The CD also has two narrations of the story. One is an exact reading of the text, to help parents who might have reading difficulties still spend time reading with their children (an essential part of learning to read is encouragement and patterning from parents or caring adults). The other uses a broader, more adult range of vocabulary (by age three, greater vocabulary growth translates into more developed cognitive patterns). These recordings help children to listen and explore on their own too!

Olivia On-Time will be released as a project on Kickstarter.com. Please follow updates on our Facebook Page (Googenius Applied Cartooning) & Googe1 on Twitter if you’d like to get a first edition copy!

AGE APPROPRIATE DEFINITION

CHARACTER VALUE ON FRONT & BACK

QUESTIONS FOR PARENTS, TEACHERS AND MENTORS TO INITIATE FRUITFUL DISCUSSIONS ON CHARACTER.

WITH THE WEST MICHIGAN CHARACTER COUNCIL, WE’VE TESTED CHARACTER CARTOONS ON LOTS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS. MOST OFTEN, WHEN  CHARACTER VALUES ARE TAUGHT, PEOPLE ACT BORED (AT BEST). WE’VE FOUND THAT CARTOONS CHANGE THAT ATTITUDE AND OPEN THE DOOR TO FRUITFUL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CHARACTER  AND HOW IT RELATES TO OUR LIVES AND THOSE AROUND US.

TARGET AGE

Definition of Patience for grades 3-5: Being able to wait for something or someone, even when it’s hard to, knowing that the outcome will be better for everyone if you don’t rush or get upset.

Conversation Starters:

•Is Goobert showing patience here?

•Why do you think he jumped right in to playing?

•What other sorts of feelings can make us impatient?

•How can being patient help us to enjoy something even more?

  How could it help Goobert here?

•Is there ever a time when you shouldn’t be patient?

•What does being patient for others say to them?

THE K-2 VERSION HAS THE SAME FORMAT BUT DIFFERENT CARTOONS, DEFINITIONS AND QUESTIONS. WHEN THE CHARACTER VALUES DISCUSSION CARTOONS ARE FINISHED, WE PLAN TO CREATE A SET OF COLLECTIBLE REWARD CARDS THAT YOU CAN GIVE YOUR CHILD IF THEY BEGIN TO ACT OUT A SPECIFIC CHARACTER VALUE.

We are currently testing a series of character posters on the middle school and high school level. These posters will feed into online character scenarios that help students to make decisions that navigate the nuances of positive and negative behavior.

We are in the beginning stages of testing these cartoons and will be completing prototypes for testing during the next school year. We appreciate all of the community support, most notably the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District and Holland Public Schools. The feedback we’ve gotten to date will help us build a program that makes a difference in West Michigan...and eventually everywhere.