Web-Slinger, Vocabulary Builder: ABDO Creates Comic Book Teacher's Guides
ABDO's Spotlight division, the publisher of licensed comic books in library editions, has announced they have created free teacher's guides to go with their comic titles, including vocabulary development using heroes like Spider-Man, X-men, Iron Man, and more, including Star Wars comics.
Minneapolis, MN (Vocus) August 3, 2010
The ABDO Group announced today that they are offering free teacher’s guides they’ve developed for their line of licensed Spotlight comic books for schools and libraries, beginning with several series of adventures from leading comics publishers Marvel and Dark Horse. Each series’ guide – created by a team of reading teachers, editors, and comics fans – will include reproducible vocabulary worksheets, research and creative writing ideas, themes for discussion and literature circles, and more. The guides will be available as free PDFs for downloading off the company’s Web site.
“The old cliché of a teacher confiscating a comic book because it’s not good reading is long gone,” noted ABDO’s Director of Marketing, Dan Verdick. “But even today, comic books and graphic novels are still misunderstood by many educators, parents, and administrators when it comes to how much they can help build reading skills. They’re not only among the most popular personal interest choices for children and young adults, but they are also filled with academic vocabulary terms and sophisticated themes,” he added.
Even ABDO staffers were surprised when they started the project at just how much vocabulary there was in their comic lines. “One four-book Avengers set contains more than 150 different 5th and 6th grade vocabulary terms – and the teacher’s guides for that came in at 22 pages,” noted Stephanie Hedlund, the Editorial Director for Spotlight, who’s heading the project. “We’re excited these guides will help educators make the most of student reading enjoyment, and help incorporate these books into curricular activities and reading skill development,” she added.
When ABDO’s Spotlight division launched in 2006, it was the first time an educational publisher licensed comic books to produce them in editions specifically for the school and library market. To help promote the genre to educators, the company created a free “Comic Books & Literacy” compilation that cites several studies and testimonies on the positive reading effects of comic books that’s also available free at www. abdopublishing. com.
In addition to ABDO’s online resources on comics, Verdick has conducted a workshop titled “Reading is a Superpower: Comic Books & Graphic Novels in Schools & Libraries” at state and district conferences across the US, and notes how Spotlight’s line of comic books and teacher’s guides will promote reading skill development across a range of groups. “The research is clear – for any reader, whether on-level, ELL, Title I, boys, or Special Ed. – comic books can help teach kids to read,” he stated. “Our free research compilation was designed to help educators understand how powerful these books can be for reading skill development, and to give them sources for grant writing, memos to colleagues, and things like that. Combined with our new teacher’s guides, we believe we’ve assembled great tools for educators to defend their collection choices, create super readers, and make the most of these incredibly popular adventures in their school or library.”
The guides will be available October 2010. Each of the ABDO/Spotlight FREE Teacher’s Guides includes:
Research project ideas, including character history, trivia, and more Vocabulary Instruction worksheets, including a complete list of all 5th and 6th grade vocabulary terms in each book with low-level definitions, vocabulary matching worksheet for linking definition to vocabulary terms, and a blank vocabulary list for students to guess, look up, and/or write in definitions Creative writing and art project ideas that tie in to each set Fluency practice tips, including “Voice of the Hero!” and “Voice of the Villain!” group reading ideas Permission to reproduce and adapt all materials for educational use
The family-owned ABDO Publishing Group is celebrating its 27th year in business, and publishes educational nonfiction, fiction, and interactive books under their ABDO Publishing Company, Spotlight, Magic Wagon, and Abdo Digital divisions.
For more information contact: Dan Verdick, Director of Marketing, (952) 698-2404 office • (952) 240-9419 cell • (952) 831-1632 fax
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