Using comics and graphic novels within the primary classroom

Using comics and graphic novels within the primary classroom

There was a time when comics were viewed as ‘recreational reading at best’ (Starr, 2014) but times have changed since then, and comics and graphic novels are now deemed acceptable as a form of literature within the classroom. I think that the use of comic and graphic novels, whether hard-copy or electric versions, offer fantastic opportunities for learning. Comics are a form of literacy, which are engaging for children as they offer visual entertainment which encourage children to read.

The cartoons also mean that children who are less confident about reading, or are learning a new language, can build on their reading abilities in a more manageable way. Stephen Cary, a second language learner specialist and author of Going Graphic: Comics at Work in the Multilingual Classroom’, claims that ‘comics provide authentic language learning opportunities for all students.’ Allowing pupils to create their own comic strips may also make them more enthusiastic about creative writing as they are working on something which they already have an interest in.

Comics are the most widely read media in the world, particularly in Japan, and Shelley Hong Xu, associate professor in the department of teacher education at California State University, claims that the use of comics and graphic novels within the classroom ‘can help with building complex reading skills’.

However, using comics in the classroom may have a negative impact on children, as it may cause them to steer away from reading more challenging pieces of writing, or novels without pictures because they are not as enjoyable or as entertaining as comics. Standard books, therefore, could end up being replaced with comics, resulting in a ‘decline in overall literacy’.

Advertising has a lot of influence on the majority of children; this is apparent because popular culture exists – if advertising did not have an impact on children, there would not be this desire for children to feel part of a group by owning the latest popular toy or gadget. Of course, children should not be viewed as consumers, but they are. When we are young, we believe what we are told as we have not yet learnt to completely form our own judgement and see past the influences of marketing, so we are probably the best consumers.

I think that children should be taught about advertising, as it is all around us everyday. They should also be aware of the effective advertising techniques, and that they should not believe everything they read or hear in an advert as they are designed to grab attention and influence people to buy their products.

Bibliography

Anon (2005). Using Comics and Graphic Novels in the Classroom . Available: http://www.ncte.org/magazine/archives/122031. Last accessed 16th Oct 2014.

Anon (2012). Are Graphic Novels Appropriate for the Classroom?. Available: http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/can-graphic-novels-

be-appropriate-for-classroom-use/. Last accessed 16th Oct 2014

Edmunds, T . (2014). Comics in the Classroom: Why Comics?. Available: http://teach.com/comics-in-the-classroom/why-comics. Last accessed 16th Oct 2014

Starr, L . (2014). Eek! Comics in the Classroom!. Available: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev105.shtml. Last accessed 16th Oct 2014