ISD Success Story
Governor Pritzker signed a proclamation celebrating our Battle of the Books students!
Battle of the Books students had a wonderful experience at Gallaudet University! The Battle of the Books is a reading competition for deaf and hard of hearing students in grades 5 to 8. Students across the nation read the same assigned books and then compete against each other by answering true or false, short answer, multiple choice, and presentation style questions about the books they read. The competition promotes literacy among deaf and hard of hearing students and is rooted in a spirit of academic competition and sportsmanship.
There are three divisions to accommodate participants varied reading levels. The Bison Division is reserved for 3rd and 4th grade reading levels; the Blue Division is reserved for 5th and 6th grade reading levels; and the Buff Division is reserved for 7th grade reading level and above.
The competition includes preliminaries, the playoffs, and the national competition. In the preliminaries, teams compete with rival schools and programs around the nation, providing an excellent opportunity for these students to meet other deaf and hard of hearing students their age who enjoy reading as well. The top performing teams advance to the playoffs where the presentation round is introduced. Of these, six final teams from the Buff and Blue divisions (and the Bison championship team) are invited to Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. for the national competition. All transportation, lodging, and meals for the National-bound teams are covered by the Gallaudet University Youth Programs office.
Blue Division
- Champions - Washington School for the Deaf
- Second Place - California School for the Deaf, Riverside
- Third Place - Indiana School for the Deaf
- Fourth Place - Illinois School for the Deaf
- Sportsmanship - Heathlands School
All Star Readers
- Clodia Kuhn, Illinois School for the Deaf
- Outstanding Reader -Heathlands School
Bison Division
- Champions - Illinois School for the Deaf
- Second Place - Rhode Island School for the Deaf
- Third Place - Willie Ross School for the Deaf
- Fourth Place - Metro Deaf School
All Star Readers
- Ava Lyons, Illinois School for the Deaf
Most Outstanding Reader
- Celine Kuhn, Illinois School for the Deaf
