Let’s Put An End To The Myth That Comic Books “Don’t Count” As Reading
I think we can all agree that reading is important. Regular reading helps build knowledge, expands vocabulary, and improves writing skills. Perhaps most importantly, when you find a book that captures your interest, it’s also fun! As a classroom teacher for 15 years and a school librarian media coordinator for 9 years, some of my most important jobs have been teaching students to read and helping them find books they love. Because let’s face it, they will never become proficient at the skill if they don’t have books they want to read.
One of the most popular genres of books for children and young adults is graphic literature. This includes comic books and Japanese comics called Manga, but not all graphic literature is comic books. A graphic novel is a complete book that contains the same elements as other novels (main theme, characters, setting, tension, climax, resolution, plot, purpose and chronology), but they also have illustrations on every page, similar to comic books. And this is why many parents have a problem with them. When they see cartoonish drawings on the page, many people assume it is a book for babies or that it is not quality reading material. Many parents have complained to me that all their child wants to read is “comic books,” which they think “doesn’t count as reading.” So today, I am here to put an end to that myth.
5 Benefits of Reading Graphic Literature
They Support Beginning and Struggling Readers
Graphic Novels and Comics Are Motivating
Comic Books Use High-Level Vocabulary
Reading Graphic Literature Enriches Comprehension and Literacy Skills for Readers of All Levels
Graphic Literature Supports English-Language Learners
Keep reading for more information:
Graphic Literature Supports Beginning and Struggling Readers – As a society of a certain age, many of us have been brought up to believe that looking at pictures while reading is “cheating.” Don’t look at that picture! You need to figure out that word on your own! That was how reading was taught for many years; kids were expected to struggle with an unfamiliar word until he/she figured it out or until an adult finally took pity on them and told them the word. By then, the point of the whole sentence was lost. If readers have to stop and struggle with even one word in every sentence, they can’t possibly comprehend the story they’re trying to read. Can you blame a kid for not wanting to read when it’s a constant struggle to figure out every few words? But with graphic literature, the illustrations support the text with context clues that help readers figure out new words and understand the story as they read. This is very helpful for beginning readers, older children who struggle with reading, and for reluctant readers. When they can use the illustrations to help read and follow the story, they can finally enjoy the story. They also feel successful and are motivated to read more.
Graphic Novels and Comics Are Motivating – Kids (and adults) who read at a low level are often intimidated by chapter books with pages full of words. Graphic literature delivers smaller amounts of text on each page, and that is less likely to overwhelm struggling readers. But – and this is important – fewer words on the page does not mean there is less of a story. Instead, readers are exposed to many important details in the illustrations without having to decode more words than they can handle. Studies have also shown that graphic novels and comic books act as “stepping stones” to longer, more complex types of books. So just because your child prefers graphic literature, that doesn’t mean it is all she/he will ever read.
Comic Books Use High-Level Vocabulary – Are you surprised by that information? Most adults do not consider comic books to be a source of high-level vocabulary. However, according to the University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning, comic books average 53.5 rare words per 1000 words. By comparison, childrens books contain 30.9 rare words per 1000, and adult books average 52.7 per 1000. Comic books offer high-level vocabulary in a high-interest context, along with supportive illustrations on each page to help readers learn and understand the new words.
Reading Graphic Literature Enriches Comprehension and Literacy Skills for Readers of All Levels – The sequential artwork in graphic literature requires readers to interact with both the text and the illustrations to comprehend the story. The reader must “read between the lines,” and it requires them to make inferences and synthesize information. Graphic literature often uses juxtaposition between what is written and what is drawn to create puns or irony. These are very complex processes and skills to learn, but when reading graphic novels or comic books, it happens organically.
Graphic Literature Supports English-Language Learners – The very nature of graphic literature is very helpful for children who are learning to speak and read English. The text is short and simplified, and the drawings help readers better understand the dialogue and interactions between characters. Additionally, many traditional books (including classics) have been re-written as graphic novels. These books offer English-Language learners the opportunity to read instructional content in a supportive format that helps them learn the content being taught in class while they are also learning a foreign language.
Simply put, reading is a skill and, like every other skill, it must be practiced in order to improve it. So if your child loves reading graphic literature, that is something to be celebrated and encouraged. They have found books that make them want to read! Graphic literature motivates kids to read, including those who struggle with it and those who previously thought they did not like reading. Graphic literature is not the enemy of quality books, it’s just another genre to choose from. Who among us hasn’t enjoyed a book that would probably not be considered academic or “quality” reading? Why should we deny our children that same pleasure? Any genre that excites kids and young adults to read is worth celebrating.
Sources:
5 Ways Comic Books Can Improve Literacy Skills, https://www.seedsofliteracy.org/five-ways-comic-books-can-improve-literacy-skills/ October 08, 2019
Big Ideas in Beginning Reading: Vocabulary. University of Oregon Center on Teaching and Learning. http://reading.uoregon.edu/big_ideas/voc/voc_what.php
Comic Books as Models for Literacy Instruction, Melissa Barbee. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2015/08/12/comic-books-as-models-for-literacy-instruction Aug 12, 2015
Why Should Kids Read Comics? https://tracyedmunds.com/
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