Graphic Novels: Friend or Foe?

In the reading world, one of the biggest struggles parents are facing today is their child’s insistence on reading graphic novels instead of conventional novels without the picture support. To parents, these graphic novels may seem to fall in the same realm as comic books and might seem to lack quality or substance. There are many reasons why children gravitate towards graphic novels, and it’s essential to understand and gain insight into why your child might be choosing these books over a standard chapter book.

Graphic novels serve a purpose.

For children who struggle with attention or working memory issues, graphic novels support their weaknesses by offering visual support to aid in memory recall and engage them with the content. Parents need to see graphic novels separate from young children’s picture books. However, it’s also essential to understand the connection between pictures and reading comprehension.

For children who have reading deficits, reading comprehension can be supported by the graphics presented in graphic novels. When students are struggling to comprehend the text thoroughly, the pictures can “fill in the blanks” of the parts that they’re struggling to retain. This will ultimately increase understanding, which will increase engagement. When students engage with reading, that’s when they come to enjoy it.

The ultimate goal of reading is reading comprehension.

When students are learning to read and developing a love for reading, they must hold some autonomy over the books and types of reading they choose. As adults, we have the luxury of being able to choose whatever interests us. Because of the requirements children face in school, they are often left with limited choices. Therefore, I suggest parents, especially during the summer, let their child pick and decide on a few books of their choosing to keep up the enjoyment of reading or increase a desire to read. Once you lose that reading enjoyment, it becomes TOUGH to get it back.

A problem that many parents face, which may feel frustrating, is that children want to read only graphic novels. By recognizing why someone is drawn to specific types of books, we can effectively guide them in exploring a wider range of reading options. This approach not only addresses their preferences but also encourages their growth and confidence as readers.

Let the child choose how they want to engage with different types of reading material:

• Switch off between graphic novels and other literature – they read a conventional book, then get to choose a graphic novel.
• Have them read for a certain amount of time in another book before allowing them to read their graphic novel.
• Use a program like Learning Ally to help support comprehension in conventional novels. learningally.org
• If they are reading on their own, be sure they are choosing books that are at their appropriate “independent” reading level (no more than 5 miscues on a page)
• Have them read with you, and stop every few paragraphs to monitor for comprehension and help them “fill in the holes” with any information they are struggling to comprehend.
• Have a variety of different reading formats available at their disposal (magazines, informational text, literature, poetry, short stories, etc.)

We must not view graphic novels as the villain. They serve an important purpose in the reading world and have led to many committed readers as they eventually transform into more developed readers. They can increase confidence because the child feels like they can finally read and enjoy a book. However, we must also make sure they are exposed to other types of literature to develop the higher-level reading skills that are required to become proficient readers.

No book is an enemy. Let reading enjoyment last forever.