After watching the final presentation that discussed the benefits of comic books for second language learners, I was reminded of how comic books shaped my own literacy.
My personal experience with comic books has really fueled my passion for writing and reading. One career option I am toying with is becoming a comic book writer. My dad is a huge comic book fan and when I was younger I would sit on the floor of his office just looking through his volumes, absorbing plot through pictures. See, comic books aren’t just great for second language learners, but general learners as well. The picture and text combination is the next step in connecting young people to reading.
I personally think that comic books should be used actively in the classroom, especially as students transition from picture books to full text. Comic books can bridge that intimidating gap and help readers develop other reading skills, such as context clues and inference. Since a lot of the plot is visual, readers can practice visualizing what is happening when they read (one big reading skill that is encouraged is having a ‘movie’ play in readers’ heads as they read).
Comic books also offer alternative reading for students who have a tough time getting into novels. Many novels written for children or even young adults don’t offer a variety of plots or characters, and comic books have that—this was mentioned in the presentation, how comic books make room for minority characters. Comic books aren’t all superheroes and sci-fi. Many deal with real-world situations that are reflective of their readers.
One of the reasons I feel so strongly about using comic books as a tool of literacy in the classroom is because of Pop Culture Classroom, a Denver based organization, which “inspires a love of learning, increases literacy, celebrates diversity and builds community through the tools of popular culture and the power of self-expression” (PCC’s Mission Statement). I had a chance to work with this organization a number of years ago, when they first started up, and saw how they encouraged young children to engage with popular media, particularly comic books. They sponsor a number of children’s comic book writers’ participating in the Denver Comic Con each year, promoting writers and readers alike.
