As I think I mentioned when we read American Born Chinese, I have been pleasantly surprised with the graphic novels we've read. I wasn't a proponent of the genre (I thought of them as comic books, and never as novels) until I read our first book, and now after Persepolis, I'm starting to swing. I don't think I'll read anymore on my own, as much as I've enjoyed these. It's still not my favorite, but I can now really see how there is something of value to offer to students, especially to those who don't want to or like to read for school.
Persepolis, the story of the young girl in Iran during war time, was very poignant. The fact that it is an autobiography of sorts is also really interesting to me. There is something to be said for the fact that this is the author's way of dealing with what she saw and went through at home. I like that it was from the perspective of a girl from Iran because it draws me in and causes me to feel more sympathy for her and her family. I couldn't believe she had to leave her family at the end, and I couldn't stop thinking about it after I had finished the book.
As for use in schools, I think this genre appeals to young readers for a reason. We are looking at a generation of kids who spend a large percentage of their time on the computer or in front of the TV. They are a visual generation! It's certainly not to say all kids are this way, but there are a lot of kids who need to see a story to understand it. I was thinking about the book I read for my book review which deals with struggling readers and the strategies they need to employ to understand a book. That's when it hit me. The reason a lot of kids don't enjoy reading is that they don't see a picture in their heads when they read! Seems simple enough, but it was something that never occurred to me until now. I have ALWAYS seen a picture when I read, which is why I love books - it's a movie in my head! So, it's what I've always known, and to realize now that not all kids have this same experience when they read really opens up some ideas for me of what I would need to do as a teacher to try and make sure the students get the most out of my class. I think the use of good, quality graphic novels makes a lot of sense.
Something I didn't think about, though, until I read the article, is how helpful graphic novels can be for the writing skills of English Language Learners. Using the graphic novel not only as a way to open them up to reading, but to help them write is genius! No matter what thier background, kids can look at a picture (with or without words) and figure out what it is about. It only makes sense to use this knowledge as a way to increase their writing skills! I was really impressed with the results. Practice makes perfect, and the more kids are writing (with the help of pictures) the better writers they will become. I think that using graphic novels to help kids learn to write should be used on all students, not just those with langauge barriers.
What Do You Mean No More Books?!?!
13 years ago
I agree with you that graphic novels opened a new world to me as well, a former "traditional" student and reader. I do miss picturing the story as it unfolds, which is part of how I connect to the story, but I can see how non-traditional readers would love graphic novels.
ReplyDeleteI also initially struggled with Graphic novels because of this, until, that is, I realized how amazingly complicated interpreting the visual imagery itself could be. I am constantly amazed by the way each medium informs the other. The way words speak to images and images to words.
ReplyDeleteHaving a student "see" what they read is a struggle for most kids. Planting a picture in your head, as a reader, is what most students have trouble doing. Graphic novels would be a good way for a struggling reader to understand the material easier. Good points!
ReplyDeleteJosh-- you are correct. Visualizing is not always an easy thing to "teach." As I mentioned in my blog, I would love to find elementary-appropriate graphic novels to use with young students to help them grasp the concept of visualization early on in their reading lives.
ReplyDeleteI love that you bring up "the movie in your head." I hated reading when I was younger, but as I got older, I noticed that same "movie" too. It is the reason I can be so emotionally attached to characters, and why I will always cry at the ending--whether its happy or sad. If we can help students discover the "movie" I think that more students would enjoy reading. I assume that this is why as you get more and more advanced readers, the pictures become fewer and fewer. The question arises, though, will students become dependent on those pictures? Is there a way to keep moving them toward a mental picture rather than a physical one?
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement about the article stating that reading these graphic novels may help students to become, not only better readers, but better writers, as well. Kids will be able to take what they see and make a story out of it. Kind of like when I was little, and would look at my pictures books and pretend I was reading (even though I was making up what it said based on what I thought the picture meant). I believe that these can have great contributions in the classroom in many ways.
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea of graphic novels in the classroom, especially for more reluctant readers, but I was not necessarily a fan of this novel in particular. It might be a good idea to use this to introduce memoirs though.
ReplyDeleteI do think that graphic novels can be helpful in writing (like the article says.) This genre provides some great freedom for writers, and I think my early problems with the GN were that I was too focused on them being used in "reading" assistance.
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