Free Comic Book Summer! How Reading Comics Fosters Literacy

Typically, each year my kids get excited about comic book day that happens in May. This year, with COVID-19 restrictions on stores in place, this event had to be postponed. But the good news is that now we have Free Comic Book Summer! Starting July 15 (through Sept. 9) a new free comic book will be available at participating stores.

 

 

Although some comics are not appropriate for younger ages, I looked through the list of free comics releasing this summer and many are kid-friendly. Growing up with a brother who LOVED comics, I sort of always thought comics were just for boys. No way! Now there are comics for My Little Pony, Donald Duck, Power Rangers and more. You might be surprised that Free Comic Book Day is actually a pretty great way to encourage literacy.

If you have a reluctant reader (like I do), you may find it hard to uncover any books that capture their attention. Oftentimes, this is where comic books (or graphic novels) can help. My son took to reading these much easier when he was an early reader than traditional books. This made me wonder: are comic books really considered useful reading when it comes to helping young children develop literacy skills. Let’s turn to some research and see what the experts have learned.

Related reading: Comprehensive List of Educational Resources for Kids During School Closures

University of Illinois researcher Carol Tilley has found evidence that reading comics helps increase students’ vocabulary and instills a love of reading.  Although in the past some parents and teachers have dismissed comics as “fluff” reading, Tilley and others argue that they can be just as complex as any other form of literature. Readers of comics must combine pictures and words in a logical fashion to understand the story. All of this helps them learn visual literacy and vocabulary. Researchers point to worldwide reading assessments that show high reading scores for students in countries where comic book reading is common. For example, Finnish children received the highest reading scores on a recent assessment and typical nine-year-olds there read a comic book almost every day.

 

Perhaps the most compelling evidence for comic book reading is how it can help boys overcome the gender gap in reading proficiency and enjoyment. Most of us are aware that girls tend to outscore boys on reading assessments and generally are found to enjoy reading more than boys. Researchers say this is due in part to the fact that boys prefer reading more non-fiction or informational texts, along with books centered on fantasy and gross details. These types of text, unfortunately, are not always as common in school libraries as traditional fiction texts that tend to appeal more to girls. Comics, along with their longer counterpart graphic novels, seem to be a possible way to engage boys more in reading. Research is showing that boys who read comics do tend to make the “leap” to other types of reading, and just as importantly, they grow to enjoy reading more than boys who do not read comics.

 

Anecdotally, it also seems that comics have a way of inspiring a lifelong love of reading and writing. Some of the country’s most prolific authors, such as Ray Bradbury and John Updike, have noted their love of comics as children.