What are the professionals saying?
Below are three articles that I found very informative when it came to young adult literature and graphic novels. The blue links below will take you to the actual articles should you be unable to resist them!
Here's what Scholastic has to say about graphic novels in the classroom.
Here's what a high school math teacher has to say about using graphic lectures in his own classroom and how you can use comics in your own classroom!
Still need another resource? This site has TONS of info on graphic novels from lists and web sites to reviews and definitions for teachers.
Here's one more that specifically focuses on using graphic novels in the classroom.
Young Adult Literature
As a field, an art form, and a classroom tool, Young Adult Literature (YAL) is fairly new. It really has only been about 50 years since this area of literature came into the public eye. This article addresses some of the gaps we have in studying this field. Many of the studies done in this field have aimed to examine the connection YAL has to content and standards rather than how students are receiving the messages and characters and how comfortable teachers feel using YAL as a teaching tool within the classroom. The authors of this article issue a call to research so that we can look more deeply into how students interact with YAL and the most positive benefits that could be had when we use YAL that does more than meet the standards. This article also points out the importance of using YAL as a link across multiple disciplines to help students make connections between literature, their everyday life, and the content they are studying.
About the role of Graphic Novels in Education
Definition of graphic novels: book-length fiction or nonfiction narratives told using the conventions of a comic book
Looking for a great resource for finding graphic novels for any subject? You've found it! This article has examples of graphic novels that can be used in a variety of content areas. It also details some important things for teachers to remember before they assign a graphic novel to their students. The author, Bill Boerman-Cornell believes that teachers "should not present graphic novels as an alternative to regular reading, but as a different and useful format." He also discusses the possibility that graphic novels could be a great way for teachers to teach reading and comprehension strategies.
About how Graphic Novels could help to encourage and build Student Reading Comprehension Strategies
This case study answered questions about the comprehension strategies students can learn to apply through graphic novels and how graphic novels can support student development as a reader. The study found that many of the participants showed a positive attitude towards graphic novels and that the teacher was impressed with the "voracious reading" she saw going on throughout the duration of the study.
Here's what a high school math teacher has to say about using graphic lectures in his own classroom and how you can use comics in your own classroom!
Still need another resource? This site has TONS of info on graphic novels from lists and web sites to reviews and definitions for teachers.
Here's one more that specifically focuses on using graphic novels in the classroom.
Young Adult Literature
As a field, an art form, and a classroom tool, Young Adult Literature (YAL) is fairly new. It really has only been about 50 years since this area of literature came into the public eye. This article addresses some of the gaps we have in studying this field. Many of the studies done in this field have aimed to examine the connection YAL has to content and standards rather than how students are receiving the messages and characters and how comfortable teachers feel using YAL as a teaching tool within the classroom. The authors of this article issue a call to research so that we can look more deeply into how students interact with YAL and the most positive benefits that could be had when we use YAL that does more than meet the standards. This article also points out the importance of using YAL as a link across multiple disciplines to help students make connections between literature, their everyday life, and the content they are studying.
About the role of Graphic Novels in Education
Definition of graphic novels: book-length fiction or nonfiction narratives told using the conventions of a comic book
Looking for a great resource for finding graphic novels for any subject? You've found it! This article has examples of graphic novels that can be used in a variety of content areas. It also details some important things for teachers to remember before they assign a graphic novel to their students. The author, Bill Boerman-Cornell believes that teachers "should not present graphic novels as an alternative to regular reading, but as a different and useful format." He also discusses the possibility that graphic novels could be a great way for teachers to teach reading and comprehension strategies.
About how Graphic Novels could help to encourage and build Student Reading Comprehension Strategies
This case study answered questions about the comprehension strategies students can learn to apply through graphic novels and how graphic novels can support student development as a reader. The study found that many of the participants showed a positive attitude towards graphic novels and that the teacher was impressed with the "voracious reading" she saw going on throughout the duration of the study.