Tips for teachers on using graphic novels with their classes

There’s been an explosion in the popularity of graphic novels in schools over the past few years. They can bring so much to the reading experience: they help boost reading confidence and allow children to feel as if they’re successful readers, invite inference, develop comprehension and encourage imitation. Because they can usually be read quickly by pupils, they can get around a class within a couple of weeks, helping develop reading communities and providing opportunities for spontaneous book talk. Most importantly, they’re loads of fun to read!

Let children be the experts

Children tend to know more about graphic novels than adults so let them be the experts. If they’re responsible for looking after the graphic novel shelf, making recommendations to children in other classes and having some input into the graphic novels that are bought by the school, they’re all significant steps towards creating an authentic and child-led reading culture.

Run a graphic novel club

Time is often an issue but I’ve found a graphic novel club to be an excellent way of deepening children’s love of reading. Our sessions are very informal: time to read graphic novels, time to talk about graphic novels and time to have a go at creating our own. It’s one of the few clubs where numbers don’t drop off but actually increase over time.

Let pupils create their own comic strips

Creating graphic novels and comic strips in class is a great way for pupils to demonstrate their knowledge, as well as their creativity. One of the most powerful pieces of writing I’ve ever been involved with was when my class created comic strips about a First World War soldier fighting in the trenches. The way they used images to add extra depth to the text was incredible.

Invest in a series of graphic novels

If a child enjoys the first book in a graphic novel series, the chances are they’re going to read the rest of it. I’ve seen a pupil, who wasn’t a particularly keen reader, read book one of Amulet after it was recommended to him by one of his peers and it literally transformed his attitude towards books overnight. He read the rest of the series within weeks and literally ran into the classroom waving the final book above his head when it was published. Great series to invest in include: New Kid by Jerry Craft, Amulet by Kazu Kubuishi, Smile by Raina Telgemeier, Mr Wolf’s Class by Aron Nels Steinke and Friends by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham.

Read them yourself

Most children’s graphic novels can be read in around an hour. Even if teachers only read one or two each term, they’ll quickly build up a bank of knowledge and be able to take part in conversations with their pupils about them. It’s time well spent!

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