Running head: USING COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR COMPREHENSION 1

Using Comics and Graphic Novels for Reading Comprehension

Shakoiya Aiken

Kaitlin Jezequel

University of West Georgia

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Abstract

This paper explores seven different articles that discuss the use of comics and graphic novels as a

possible means to affect students’ reading comprehension. Fisher and Frey (2008) explain the

innovation of studies such as these by saying, “Articles specifically addressing graphic novels’

pedagogical potentiality have just begun to enter the field over the last decade or so” (p. 50). The

research provided delves into the empirical evidence which has been conducted since the rise of

using comics and graphic novels in the classroom. The experiential articles report on results from

research conducted about the effects that comics and graphic novels appear to have on reading

comprehension. Although the articles differ somewhat in their findings regarding the efficacy of

reading comics and graphic novels for educational purposes, there appears to be a common trend

of increased engagement among the students who have utilized this strategy. Overall, it appears

that the collective findings support the idea that educational comics can potentially create a

significant positive impact on academic achievement as a result of increased student

comprehension.
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Using Comics and Graphic Novels for Reading Comprehension

This study will look at different research investigations that examined the impact of using

vividly illustrated stories, typically referred to as graphic novels, as well as comics, to determine

their possible effect on reading comprehension. Through this research proposal, some literature

on the topic of reading comics with the intent of improving comprehension will be reviewed, and

a method for the study will be addressed. Teaching reading comprehension skills is a challenge

for many educators because all students enter their classroom with varying degrees of skills, and

also learn in different ways. When considering ways to vary instructions for learners, it could be

beneficial to research the effects of comics and graphic novels on the comprehension level of

students. According to Reading Rockets (2015), “Comprehension is the understanding and

interpretation of what is read” (para. 1). Today’s students’ attention is drawn to images, and

recent research examining students’ reading comprehension demonstrates a strong correlation

between the use of comics and graphic novels and the students’ measurable learning gains.

According to Blake, “Comics are probably more able to combine story and information

simultaneously, more effectively and seamlessly, than almost any other medium” (2013, para. 2).

This research study will investigate how comics and graphic novels can possibly be used

to develop and enhance 21st century skills in the classroom, such as reading for understanding.

Currently, students are surrounded with visual imagery through a variety of digital devices and

media, including comic books and graphic novels. Presently, there is some evidence that seems

to support that comics appear to have a positive effect on reading comprehension. However, a

definitive gap in the research exists, as there are a limited number of studies such as these, with a

noted absence of research focused on students in elementary school. As teachers are continually

looking for evidenced based practices to authentically differentiate instruction (Christensen,

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Horn, & Johnson, 2017, p. 27), being able to add comics and/or graphic novels to their lesson

plans could add variety, and quite possibly improved learning outcomes.

Research Questions and Hypothesis

The research question guiding this study is: How do comics and/or graphic novels

potentially affect reading comprehension? The researchers’ hypothesis is that utilizing comics

within the curriculum will have a positive effect on the reading comprehension levels of

elementary school age students.

Review of Literature

While the majority of discussion about the possible benefits comics might have on

reading comprehension has occurred in the past few decades, perusing comics as a means to

increase reader interest has been noted by researchers as far back as the 1940s (Fisher & Frey,

2008, p. 94). For a while, comics were not viewed with any educational purpose in mind;

however, Topkaya & Simsek (2016) explain that “…educational comic books, with the

humorous way of dealing with issues and the feeling of curiosity in people, have a very

important place in point to correlate with circumstances or events” (p. 52). Based on this idea of

combining words with pictures, the use of comics and or graphic novels in many classroom

contexts appear to have the potential to increase interest in readers. Furthermore, it appears that

increased level of student engagement associated with reading comics is often positively

correlated with deeper understanding of the material. This higher level of engagement typically

results in better retention and comprehension of material (Fisher & Frey, 2008, p. 106).

Other research relating to comprehension examines comics and illustrated trade books,

often collectively referred to as CTBs. An article by Ardashava, Bowden, Morrison, and Tretter

(2015) proposes that CTBs can assist students who are English Language Learners (ELLs), and
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can also aid students for whom English is their primary language (p. 40). According to

Ardasheva et al. (2015), “…education research has linked the use of CTBs in…classrooms with

improvement in both ELL and non-ELL students’…conceptual knowledge, reading

comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, and strategy use” (2015, p. 40). The research from

Ardasheva et al. (2015) is one of many that investigates how comics appear to be able to

particularly help ELL students with their studies, as well as their non-ELL counterparts. It seems

that increased participation as a result of captivating students’ interest with comics may have the

potential to hasten language and reading comprehension in students with varying command of

the English language.

Complementing the research that focused primarily on ELL individuals, there is a study

that looked at various levels of students and their overall vocabulary (Sarada, 2016, p. 60).

Sarada (2016) suggests that educators consider the “…significant impact of using comics as a

tool over the conventional method of teaching to enhance language usage” (p. 64). This is

aligned with a study by Gabaron which focused on the power of printed texts and digital texts

with comics (2017, p. 285). According to Gabaron (2017), “The study found that printed graphic

novels have a bigger impact on students’ comprehension” (p. 285). Gabaron suggests the

students used visual clues to gain and increase their understanding of the material (2017, p. 288).

When reading comics or graphic novels, it appears people tend to view the images in order along

with the captions; this appears to enhance understanding of story lines. In fact, “Such a process

of comprehending sequential images has often been compared to the comprehension of words in

sentences” (Foulsham, Wybrow, & Cohn, 2016, p. 566). If comics can possibly compel some

students to heighten their level of attention, and even entice some of them to re-read material,
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this has the distinct possibility of increasing these individuals’ understanding of what they read

(Gabaron, 2017, p. 286).

In contrast, there are researchers who found that while some students reading comic

books are likely more engaged and excited during the process when compared to reading text

exclusively, there was no apparent correlation between increased interests and improved reading

comprehension (Gabaron, 2017, p. 288). Gabaron (2017) found that while reading these

illustrated texts, “Some students were not reading carefully and were skipping either consciously

or unconsciously important dialogues or situations” (p. 288). So it appears that in at least some

cases, graphic novels may pique reader interest because of the dynamic artwork, yet do not

compel the student to delve into the actual plot or nuances of story contained within the written

words.

When looking at the published literature focusing on the possible impact of incorporating

comics and graphic novels as a means to increase reading comprehension, an overall void exists

when looking for the potential effect of comics on the reading comprehension of students half

way through elementary school. This is a dramatic gap in the literature, as the academic

expectation is that children in this age group should be able to read and explain age appropriate

stories and text (Georgia Department of Education, 2015, p.1). Perhaps comics and graphic

novels could provide a means to enhance reading ability and comprehension in these students.

Methods

A quasi-experimental study is proposed for this research to examine and explore the

potential effect of comics and graphic novels on a group of elementary school students’ reading

comprehension, as an experiment is the only means to attempt to measure cause and effect. The

study is considered quasi-experimental because students will be specifically chosen to participate

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in the study, and will not be randomly assigned to the two different groups observed (Plano

Clark & Creswell, 2015, p. 200). This approach has been selected in attempt to observe potential

measurable changes in the reading comprehension of low performing elementary school students

who read comics versus those who read identical text without any illustrations or drawings.

The proposed study will be conducted by two certified teachers at an elementary school

focusing on twenty students enrolled in various third grade classes who have been identified as

possessing below average reading skills. These students will be selected to participate in the

study because they will have been identified as “...the individuals who are most appropriate for a

study of the central phenomenon” (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2015, p. 332) based on their

identified difficulties in reading. Prior to the commencement of the study, all 20 participants will

take a baseline reading comprehension test. Over the next four weeks, as part of the study, these

students will attend ten reading sessions lasting approximately 30 minutes each.

Half the students will be reading comics and/or graphic novels during this time; these

students will comprise the experimental group. Accordingly, exposure to the illustrations in the

form of comic style artwork is the independent variable (I.V.) in this experiment; the I.V. is the

factor manipulated by the research team. The dependent variable, the factor possibly affected by

exposure to the independent variable, is the students’ scores on a reading comprehension post-

test administered at the conclusion of the study.

The other half of the subjects in this experiment will be reading solely text of the same

material; these students will be considered the control group as they will not have access to the

comics or graphic novels. This control group will take the identical post-test at the conclusion of

the study. At the end of the study, researchers will be analyzing the data obtained from both the

experimental and control groups, comparing and contrasting potential changes in scores in the
USING COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR READING COMPREHENSION 8

subjects’ pre and post-tests. As the researchers examine the data between the two groups of

students, a t-test will be performed to determine if the difference in the results of the

experimental and control groups are statistically significant.

At the conclusion of the four week study, the researchers will be looking at the data from

all of the students, examining results of the assessments, looking for evidence that may support

or refute that students in the experimental group were able to integrate and construct enhanced

meaning from images within a comic and/or graphic novel. They will be comparing this data to

the assessment results from those students who read the same material without any

accompanying artwork. Essentially, the researchers will be investigating the potential effects

comics may have on students’ reading comprehension as a result of participation in this study.

Conclusion

In order to fully understand the role comics may play on students’ reading

comprehension, it is necessary to further analyze the potential efficacy of comics and graphic

novels as they pertain to reading for understanding, particularly looking to examine the potential

affect this genre could have on children with emerging reading skills. As methods and strategies

in education continue to evolve in the 21st century, it appears time to further explore the potential

impact of integrating visual literacy with traditional texts in the compelling style of comics and

graphic novels. The effects of comics on student reading comprehension may need further

research; however, it is important to continue examining the impact of visual and media literacy

on students’ reading comprehension. Perhaps it is time educators and stakeholders alike accept

that visual literacy can be an integral part of learning, and comics and graphic novels can play a

role in the future of reading comprehension for students.

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References

Ardasheva, Y., Bowden, J., Morrison, J., & Tretter, T. (2015). Comic relief - using comics and

illustrated trade books to support science learning in first-year english language

learners. Science Scope, v(i), 39-47.

Blake, C. (2013, January 30). The benefits and risks of comics in education. Retrieved July 2,

2018, from https://www.cbr.com/the-benefits-and-risks-of-comics-in-education/

Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Johnson, C. W. (2017). Disrupting class: How disruptive

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Frey, N., & Fisher, D. (2008). Teaching visual literacy: Using comic books, graphic novels,

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Foulsham, T., Wybrow, D., & Cohn, N. (2016). Reading without words: eye movements in the

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Greenstein, L. (2012). Assessing 21st century skills: A guide to evaluating mastery and authentic

learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Georgia Department of Education. (2015, April 15). ELA-Grade-3-Standards [PDF].

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Reading Rockets. (2015, March 23). Comprehension. Retrieved June 30, 2018, from

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Sarada, P. A. (2016). Comics as a powerful tool to enhance english language usage. The IUP

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