On Tuesday Andy and I attended a special Zoom session with author Kwame Alexander as guests of Adventure Academy. Kwame was there to reveal his newest project called WordPlay, a show that will appear withing Adventure Academy. Kwame was such a warm and welcoming person and his enthusiasm for writing and teaching about writing is so authentic. He fueled the energy of the panel and called out personal messages and questions to everyone on the session. You could see how proud he was of this concept and how excited he is for kids to watch and learn. You can see a teaser trailer for the show in the video below and then learn all about the concept behind it in the press release as well.
WordPlay will premiere in early September on Adventure Academy, a learning app for kids 8 – 12.
Multi-Award-Winning Children’s Author Kwame Alexander and Leading Digital Education Platform Adventure AcademyTM Partner to Launch Exclusive Online Master Class in Story Writing for Elementary-Age Children
Alexander created, executive produced, and hosts new 10-episode series WordPlay, inspiring and teaching children the art of crafting short stories, with the help of other notable guest authors
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Education innovator Age of Learning, Inc., today announced WordPlay, a brand new kids video series created by Kwame Alexander, the New York Times bestselling author of 37 children’s books including Newbery and Caldecott award winners The Crossover and The Undefeated. The educational series provides a master class in storytelling for elementary students. It will be available in September exclusively within Age of Learning’s online educational game Adventure AcademyTM.
WordPlay teaches children how to write short stories in a highly engaging format. Alexander created, executive produced, and serves as the host of the show. “I know a lot of kids will be reading and writing and learning at home this year, and that’s going to be challenging,” said Alexander. “My 11-year old has struggled during the lockdown to stay engaged with her classes and assignments. I created WordPlay as a supplemental learning aid to engage these young learners that is not only educationally effective but also intelligently entertaining. This is a master class in writing for young people!”
Each episode of WordPlay features Alexander working through a key stage of the storytelling process with the help of his diverse group of friends. For example, when he’s looking for help finding the right word or metaphor, he meets up with American rapper and hip-hop ambassador Toni Blackman, who freestyles a special “word of the day.” Other well-known guest stars, including actor and author Maulik Pancholy of 30 Rock and former VP of Animated Shorts for Nickelodeon Samantha Berger, offer insights into various elements of the storytelling process, such as exposition, character development, and how to build a sense of mystery.
WordPlay also features “The Pajama Drama Club,” a book club of kids who act out stories by performing literary songs and jokes in a theatrical production.
Age of Learning’s team of master teachers and curriculum experts have created interactive learning activities to accompany each WordPlay episode within Adventure Academy to help young learners deepen their understanding of key topics and practice writing their own stories.
“As a leading educational game for elementary-age children, Adventure Academy provides a virtual learning world that sparks kids’ intellectual curiosity and helps build key academic skills,” said Paul Candland, CEO of Age of Learning. “We couldn’t be more excited to bring the genius of Kwame Alexander to Adventure Academy, where his expertise and passion will inspire and empower kids to become master storytellers of their own.”
Adventure Academy is a highly interactive learning game for elementary and middle school age children featuring thousands of learning activities in a fun and safe virtual world. Available to families on computers, tablets, and smartphones, Adventure Academy builds critical knowledge of essential topics in language arts, math, science, social studies, and more.
WordPlay episodes will begin rolling out within Adventure Academy at the beginning of September. For more information on WordPlay, visit www.adventureacademy.com/wordplay and Adventure Academy, visit www.adventureacademy.com.
About Age of Learning, Inc.
Age of Learning® is a leading education technology innovator, creating engaging and effective learning resources to help children build a strong foundation for academic success. Based in Los Angeles, the company is Bringing Learning to Life® by blending educational expertise, innovative technology, and insightful creativity. Age of Learning’s flagship product in the U.S., ABCmouse.com® Early Learning Academy, is a comprehensive curriculum for preschool through second grade, available on all major digital platforms and used by tens of millions of children to date. In 2019 the company launched Adventure AcademyTM, the first AAA educational massively multiplayer online game (MMO), serving elementary- and middle-school-aged children with thousands of learning activities in a fun and safe virtual world. Connect with Age of Learning at www.AgeofLearning.com or on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
About Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, and New York Times Bestselling author of 37 books, including BECOMING MUHAMMAD ALI (co-authored with James Patterson); THE PLAYBOOK, KWAME ALEXANDER’S FREE WRITE JOURNAL; REBOUND, which was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal; Caldecott-Medal- and Newbery-Honor-winning picture book THE UNDEFEATED (illustrated by Kadir Nelson), HOW TO READ A BOOK (illustrated by Melissa Sweet), and his Newbery-Medal-winning middle grade novel THE CROSSOVER. Kwame is a regular contributor to NPR’s Morning Edition, and the recipient of numerous awards, including The Coretta Scott King Author Honor, three NAACP Image Award Nominations, and the 2017 Inaugural Pat Conroy Legacy Award. In 2018, he opened the Barbara E. Alexander Memorial Library and Health Clinic in Ghana, as a part of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program he co-founded. Kwame currently serves as the inaugural Innovator-in-Residence at the American School in London, and the Founding Editor of VERSIFY, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that aims to Change the World One Word at a Time.