Student Perspectives on the Impact Reading Graphic Novels Has on Their Academic Achievement in Reading by Susan L. Read Susan L. Read has been an educator for 40 years. She was an elementary school teacher and principal in her native New Zealand before moving to Massachusetts in 2001. She is currently employed as assistant librarian in a middle school in Natick. Her interest in graphic novels was sparked by her late husband, Steve Cohen, who had a collection of more than 100,000 comic books and graphic novels. Her interests include reading and spending time with her chihuahuas.
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ver the last few years, the reading program in the school in which I am employed has moved from teacher-directed to one of student choice. Reader’s Workshop is the teaching model now being used at this school. Students are encouraged to choose their own reading materials based on their own interests rather than have their teacher assign materials based on reading levels. The district’s reading specialist has shared a number of research studies with teachers that seem to support the idea that allowing students to select their own reading materials will result in greater student interest, which will lead to their reading more, and, therefore, result in increased academic progress in reading. In this school, there is a large and growing collection of graphic novels in the library. This is a recent development. Two years ago the library was awarded a grant for the purpose of developing what was, at the time, a very small selection. Graphic novels for the middle grades are a growing area in the publishing industry. An increasing number of students are selecting only graphic novels from the library. Some teachers and parents have expressed concern about whether the students who read only graphic novels will reach the same level of academic progress in reading as those who read a greater variety of material.
Literature Review A review of research published about reading instruction revealed that reader choice is one of the six elements of reading instruction students should experience every day. Allington and Gabriel 54
(2012) stated, “The six elements of effective reading instruction don’t require much time or money—just educators’ decision to put them in place” (p. 10). Research, they explained, has concluded that personal choice, along with access to many books, are the two most important factors in determining student motivation and comprehension. They also stated that although students may initially need some teacher guidance in how to select a text that is a good match for their ability level and interests, with that guidance they will develop this ability. This will mean that they are much more likely to read outside of school hours. The importance of learning how to select appropriate reading materials was also supported by Carey, Howard, and Leftwich (2013) who found that although “students enjoyed reading independently at school, and considered themselves good readers, … they did not always know how to choose a book at their reading level which led to a decrease in time well spent during independent reading” (p. 30). They explained that in addition to consistently providing time for independent reading and modeling desired reading behavior, it is essential for teachers to make sure students develop the skills needed to select reading material that is appropriate to their interests and reading ability. Hudson and Williams (2015) also supported the importance of independent reading time and personal choice. Their research has clearly indicated the amount of time students spend reading real books, as opposed to completing test preparation activities, is the best indicator of their future success and growth as a reader. There is no other literacy activity that “has a more positive effect on students’ comprehension, vocabulary knowledge, spelling, writing ability, and overall academic achievement than free voluntary reading” (p. 531). Skill-based practice, and test preparation do not result in the same level of academic achievement. Hudson and Williams went on to note “Providing students with choices not only helps to improve their literacy ability but also has been shown to improve student engagement” (p. 531). When
