Literacy

Reading and making comics

This section focuses on a linked set of five-day school visits undertaken by graphic novel specialist Mel Gibson. A number of ideas about how comics/graphic novels can be used, with whom and why are provided.

Who are comics aimed at?

Schools often perceive comics as suitable for their ‘less able’ pupils and so tend to offer comic-related work with groups who fit that bill. Whilst these sessions can be a revelation to teachers, such an approach does risk compounding pupil self-perception as ‘less able’, even though they may be reading very complex and dense text.

In the cases that follow, it was the schools that had experience of graphic novels who wanted pupils of all abilities to attend the comic/graphic novel sessions. This suggests that their familiarity with the medium has led them to understand that they can provide challenging reads for even the most sophisticated reader.

An extract from the Hopeless Savages graphic novel

Aims

The comic/graphic novel days in school were used to promote leisure reading to young people, support librarians and make teachers unfamiliar with the medium aware of possible classroom material.

More specifically, the project aimed to:

develop an interest in reading across the ability range in support of raising standards in literacy
extend reading experience in the widest sense
enhance and encourage desire and ability to access books
encourage young people to discuss what they have read with their peers
improve literacy through the medium of graphic novels
develop cross-sectoral working involving schools, literacy development and children’s services.

Project format

The work format varied from school to school, but the majority of sessions were with S1 and S2 pupils. A variety of methods were implemented, enabling a range of potential uses and approaches to be tested out. These generally included:

book talks from an enthusiastic member of staff or a comic shop employee
pupils designing their own comics

Usually the day was divided into four or five one-hour sessions. These mainly took place in the school library as part of English lessons. Staff involvement was vital in sending positive messages to pupils and in allowing further development of work around comics/graphic novels. The workshop leader based each session around a talk to promote a collection. There was scope for pupils to contribute, ask questions, explore the collection and do some reading.

The sessions that had practical elements (i.e. pupils creating their own comics) were part of media or art projects, or were cross-curricular. Comic designs were usually based on stories already written in class or were specifically created for the comic book material. The Practical ideas page provides further details and tips on making your own comics.

Pupils' reaction

The project attracted attention among pupils because it involved work created by their peers. The practical sessions were useful as a confidence booster, given that comic design looked achievable even for those who said they couldn’t draw. The comic made an impact because it was not as polished as professional texts and was a good source of ideas.

Teachers' viewpoints

The comic design activities were appreciated as an appropriate launch pad for similar schemes within schools. The wide range of media used meant that each story was done differently. Examples included hand-drawn material, collage-based strips, and photo-stories.

Librarians and teachers indicated that there was an increase in library use as a result of the library offering material (graphic novels) not usually stocked in school settings. These collections were seen as useful, popular, accessible and appropriate. Consequently, the use of the library was more positive and productive. Other findings included the appeal across ability levels because of the ‘cult’ nature of some of the titles, and the fact that some graphic novels, such as Art Spiegelman’s (1987/1992) Maus, acted as wider reading up to Higher level.