Comic Books Can Improve Your Childs Literacy
(And Free Comic Book Day Is Only Two Days Away)
My first real introduction to comic books started with Wolverine issue #51. I remember buying it because I had a friend who was into comics, and I wanted him to think I was cool, so I picked the comic with the most bad-ass looking character I could find on the rack.
I was hooked instantly, and two years later was spending an average of $30 to $50 a week on comics. My parents let me know that they thought my new addiction was a little exorbitant, at times voicing their confusion as to why I liked comics so much in the first place, but they never tried to stop or prevent me from reading them. They never made me feel like I was a geek (like so many other people did), just because I liked reading over-the-top stories about superheroes with strange powers, and for that I’m grateful.
Pop-culture has changed quite a bit in the 10-11 years since then, but I still feel as if the adult world has too much of a negative view of children reading comics. I mean the influence of comics are everywhere these days, in your child’s favorite cartoons, in the movies, novels, even prime-time dramas. So whats so bad about a kid sitting down and reading a comic?
Look at the positive aspects to reading comics. It has been shown that reading comics improves literacy and numerous organizations like Literacy Works, and ProLiteracy Worldwide have embraced this, and other organizations like The Comic Book Project, have formed around this concept.
I know that my own vocabulary was greatly improved from my habitual comic reading. To this day, I still remember the moment I discovered the word “behemoth” and learned what it meant in an issue of “The Incredible Hulk.”
Another great benefit to reading comics at a young age is that it encourages creativity. Reading stories about wizard, superheroes, aliens, pirates, or all of the above, can - and most often does - inspire children to make up their own stories or draw and write about their own characters. If not for comics, I don’t know that I would have ever uncovered my interest in design, animation, and storytelling, at least not to the extent that it fills my life today.
The worry that comics promote violence, undue sexuality, etc. is no longer valid. True, some comics do feature and rely heavily on these subjects to promote their books, but today there are so many different types of comics for all age groups and interests. And with Free Comic Book Day just around the corner, now is your chance (and your child’s) to give them a shot and see what you’ve been missing.
March 21st, 2008 at 12:16 pm
[…] Novice Pop dislikes that comic books are looked at negatively to parents & gives reasons why they actually improve literacy. […]