Kuato Studios, an award-winning developer and publisher of narrative focused mobile apps, is pleased to announce the launch of Marvel Hero Tales, a brand new, educational storytelling app available to download now.
Marvel Hero Tales offers a brand-new way to experience Marvel stories while helping to develop the language and reading skills of 9-11 year olds. Based on the world renowned Marvel Comics, the app will feature familiar Super Heroes like Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel who will help players improve their vocabulary and expressive language by creating their own comic books.
Kuato Studios has worked closely with the Centre For Applied Language Studies at the University of Portland Oregon, as well as teachers and schools in the UK, to develop specific vocabulary content for the app which is based on the Corpus of Contemporary American English and mapped to US and UK literacy grade standards. Over time, players will progress through a rich, graded vocabulary set to help them become better readers and storytellers.
The app’s unique learning experience will encourage children to be the Super Heroes of their own stories by letting them personalise their own experience through the use of N.A.S (Narrative Action System). The app will follow characters as they “level up” by completing activities such as word collection and comprehension of words. These words are then used by the player to co-author their own story by building sentences that transform into their very own comic book panel, with their choice of words directly affecting the outcome of the mission and stylised look. Finally, the user will be presented with their very own co-authored book that can be read and shared with friends or family, but above all cherished as a token of one’s own success and achievements throughout the journey.
Marvel Hero Tales’ unique story-driven format aims to make learning fun and efficient. With the reinforcement of earned words throughout the storyline it aims to help build comprehension and retention at the same time. The interactive activities position super hero characters as role models to reinforce reading as a good source of information by allowing users to find clues and other important information in newspapers, secret files and on websites. The storylines are adapted to the player’s age, with shorter and simpler language used for younger audiences, and more complex ones applied to the older demographic. As players progress within the app, their achievements are celebrated throughout, earning them badges for their success.
“This is the most personal project I’ve ever been involved with, not just because of my love of the Marvel Universe, but also because as a child with undiagnosed dyslexia, school, and particularly reading, was incredibly challenging for me. I remember one day when I was 8, my Mum picked me up from school and gave me a copy of Spider-Man – my very first introduction to Marvel. From that moment on I was hooked; I read it cover to cover every day. Those adventures fed not only my imagination, but my confidence as a storyteller and my passion for reading. My hope is that Marvel Hero Tales will inspire a new generation of Marvel readers and storytellers, and in some small way, allow that 8-year-old to repay some of the debt I owe to Peter Parker.” – Mark Horneff, CEO of Kuato Studios
Kuato Studios plans to add regular updated content to both characters and storylines.
Marvel Hero Tales is available to download now on the App Store and Google Play Store.
