If you’ve been struggling to get your child into reading books, comics might be the alternative you’ve been looking for. Even though we’re often quick to dismiss comics, there’s actually some surprising literacy boosting benefits. Not only do the colourful pictures and small snippets of text make them easier to read, the engaging storylines and aspirational characters make them much more appealing to reluctant readers. We wanted to share just how awesome comic books really are and all the ways they can help reluctant readers achieve more as well as find the joy in reading they’ve been missing.
Improve Literacy Skills
For children who are perhaps struggling with their literacy skills, comics are a wonderful way to help build up their confidence levels. Even though it’s common to think comics don’t have any educational benefits, the complete opposite is true – comics actually promote literacy and language skills! In fact, they involve the reader by making them understand the narrative and sequence of events, as well as encouraging them to read ‘between the lines.’ Comics also have a beginning, middle and an end, main characters and a story climax just like text-based books. All of this helps introduce young readers to the structure of a story, alongside helping them to develop their vocabulary and understand complex story concepts such as mood, tone, humour and irony.
Improve Reading Comprehension Skills
Many kids that struggle with reading are visual learners, making comics the perfect solution. Having images alongside words provides a bridge for them to actually understand the text. Often children will recognise a word but not be able to recall the meaning, which is why having images alongside the writing can provide clues to help kids connect the two.
More Approachable
It’s normal for some children to be put off books with lots of pages and small text as they can feel daunting and not very exciting. That’s why comic books are such a great alternative as they are much more approachable and there’s more of a chance they’ll help spark a love for reading. The ‘bite size’ text and bright imagery is sure to help reluctant readers feel confident they can get through the story and they can even have a quick flip through to see what they can expect.
Help Kids Feel A Sense Of Accomplishment
Children who aren’t avid readers can easily feel discouraged by the whole concept of reading. However, finishing a comic book is sure to give them a new-found sense of accomplishment and help them realise they can achieve reading success! This success will aslo build up their confidence levels and can even motivate the most reluctant reader to read more often or even try out a new type of book.