Blog 3: Comics & Graphic Novels.

Does the use of comics and graphic novels (hard copy/electronic versions) within the primary literacy curriculum undermine the values of the classroom or do they offer opportunities for learning?

Comics and Graphics novels can be an enjoyable and engaging way for children to read, especially those who find it difficult to maintain their engagement in word-heavy text (Moss, 1999). However, they are also regularly and heavily criticised, even receiving calls for censorship or banning entirely as it is seen by some that children who choose this form of reading are denying themselves more 'nourishing' texts. The colloquial language used within the texts are often a focus point for criticism (Millard & Marsh, 2001). There has traditionally been no mention of them in the statutory curricula, however, the new national curriculum does state that children need to read a broad range of text materials (DfES, 2013) and are mentioned in the Primary National Strategy for literacy (DfE, 2006). 

Today comics and graphic novels are beginning to step over educational borders and are beginning to be accepted by the educational community. It is suggested that this is due to a greater understanding of the digital native and the complementary nature of these texts with the visual online world in which we live (Dong, 2012). Tiemensma (2009) states that before children learn to read they are still regularly witness to sequential images, a point that is extremely relevant to the digital native. Children learn from a young age to ascertain information from images and learn the skills required to decode the order in which to retrieve the information they are given. Given that children are now presented information through various media in inventive layouts and gain an understanding for this, it would be useful to teach comic creation to explore and develop this information presentation skill. One program that would facilitate this is 'ComicLife' which would allow a child to build a story panel-by-panel and explore the effects of presenting information in different ways (Appendix i).

It would seem to me after reading several sources that comics and graphic novels do not undermine modern classroom values. They do not only offer opportunities for learning but due to their visual nature, offer more beneficial learning opportunities than more traditional texts for topics such as religious education, other syncretic topics and  some aspects of PSHE. It is the teacher's responsibility, however, to ensure that they are delivered as part of a broad and balanced literacy curriculum.


Appendix i







































Bibliography

Department for Education (2006) Primary Framework for literacy and mathematics, DFES.

Department for Education (2013) National Curriculum in England: English programmes of study- key stages 1 and 2. London: HMSO.

Dong, L (2012). Teaching Comics and Graphic Narratives: Essays on Theory, Strategy and Practice. Carolina: McFarland & Co Inc.

Millard, E. and Marsh, J. (2001) 'Sending Minnie the Minx Home: comics and reading choices', Cambridge Journal of Education, 31: 1, 25 — 38.

Moss, G (1999) Boys and non-fiction: cause or effect?, Literacy today, no 21, p19.

Tiemensma, L, (2009) Visual literacy: to comics or not to comics?: Promoting literacy using comics, World Library and Information Congress: 75th IFLA General Conference and Council, [ONLINE] Accessed 04/03/2014, Available: http://conference.ifla.org/past-wlic/2009/94-tiemensma-en.pdf .