November 18, 2008
Graphic Novels for (Really) Young Readers, By: Allyson A. W. Lyga
I have to admit, I was one of those teachers (almost!) who felt as though graphic novels would not appropriately meet the educational needs of students. Through reading this article and others, I now know that “many essential literacy skills are required in reading a graphic novel, including the ability to understand a sequence of events, interpret characters’ nonverbal gestures, discern the story’s plot, and make inferences” (P.1). Graphic novels give those who are “incapable of visualizing a story” pictures and artwork to create their own story. Graphic Novels and WPB’s benefit almost all students!
I loved the idea of involving the art teacher in graphic novel and WPB creations. Allowing students to create their own graphic novel can be extremely time consuming. If a teacher has an art teacher who is willing to work with such a project, students will not only have more time to illustrate their Graphic Novel and/or WPB, but also they can gain insight from an expert (the art teacher) about adding depth and movement to their illustrations!
