I am really happy that we got to read the graphic novel “MAUS” in this class. This was the first graphic novel I have ever read, and it made me wonder why I had never read any in middle school or high school. Thus, I decided to do some research to see the benefits of teaching graphic novels and why/why not they are taught in the classroom.
The article I found stated that teaching graphic novels to students is important because it can help to develop a child’s “complex reading skills.” Graphic novels, which have minimal text and many pictures, force the child to make inferences from what they see and how it relates to the story being told. However, the article urges teachers to familiarize themselves with graphic novels before teaching them to students. This will help teachers to understand the skills needed to read and comprehend the story. Did you read graphic novels in middle/high school? If so, how do they compare to typical novels in your opinion?
The unique aspect about graphic novels (vs. comics) is that they still have a beginning, middle, and end, main character, and a plot/climax. The major difference between a typical novel and a graphic novel is that a graphic novel tells the story visually and textually. Each illustration enhances the understanding of the text for the reader. Do you prefer to read a story through pictures and text or just straightforward text? I liked interpreting the pictures throughout the story, for me it gave the text more meaning and helped me to visualize and understand what was happening in the story. Overall, I really liked reading “MAUS,” and I definitely plan on reading more graphic novels.
Full article: http://www.ncte.org/magazine/archives/122031
I have never read a graphc novel before, this is also my first. It did not give me a good impression I personally didn't like it, but because of the pictures it did keep me rading. If the novel was longer I truly dont think I would have been able to read all the way through it. I do like reading books with some pictures, but I mostly like to read just text, especially if its a book that I want to read. It allows me to have more of an imaginary and adventure through my mind. It allows me to make what the characters looks like and such.
ReplyDeleteThis was also my first time reading a graphic novel and I loved it. I also agree that a story through picture and text can be better because it definitely adds more meaning to the story and interpreting the pictures can be fun, but I also like to read just text because it allows me to make up my own pictures.
ReplyDeleteI think teachers should present more graphic novels to their students. I also think the article made some great points. Graphic novels definitely help students develop more complex reading skills and it also helps them with interpreting pictures.