Teachers

Learning Strategies

This book was written to raise kids awareness of light science, but not just while they read it.  We want them to be able to retain what they learn inside it. All of us are subject to so many distractions today, and are threatened by information overload. However, neuroscience has uncovered several key principles of how the brain learns. Specifically in the book, attention, association, and repetition techniques were used to improve kids retention.

For example, the book champions the admirable energy superhero characteristics of strength, bravery, tech prowess, and concern for the environment, so readers can associate these with themselves. 

The continuing threat and battles with Dark Energy throughout the story, the magical Wizard, the Energy Superheros, and the graphic novel format all strive to maintain attention.

The Kid's Light Science Rap, the Wizard's Light Energy Quizzes, the Earthship, and the Kid's Light Science Plan all repeat the key learning concepts.

 Readability

4th and 5th Grade Teachers will appreciate that word length for the book was kept to an average of 4.3 characters on the ATOS and that 3 or more syllable words were kept under 10%. The Fry’s 1000 word list was used to eliminate most words above the Fry’s first 500. Finally, the book was run in 5-page increments to analyze grade level and then reworked until the readability scores ranged from 4th to 5th grade. To be thorough, the analysis was done in ATOS Analyzer, DRP Text Complexity Analyzer, Flesch Reading Ease, Gunning Fog, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Powers Sumner Kearl, the Smog Index, the Linear Write Formula and the Fry’s Graphs. Given the author’s penchant for glossaries,  a glossary will be included in The Energy Wizard for new words (including all those related to Light Science) that are not on the Fry’s first 500 word list.

Lesson Plan

Combine fun with Science, English, and a Theatrical Reading of The Energy Wizard — complete with rap! Get the Lesson Plan below.