Reach For the Comics!
The panelists at the Comics 101 discussion at the 2008 New York Comic Con are excited about comic books! (Photo: Dante A. Ciampaglia)
At the 2008 New York Comic Con in New York City, there was a panel discussion about whether or not comic books are good for kids to read. It was called Comic Books 101. And while the panel was mainly for parents, as a kid I think comics are great reading material!
An average comic book is 20 pages long. Each page is loaded with amazing graphics and has an average of about one to two paragraphs of text on each page.
I am an avid reader of comic books. When I was younger especially, reading comic books helped me develop an extensive reading and speaking vocabulary. I found in comic books words I would not see in typical books for kids my age. I also enjoy the fun and easy format of comic books—not to mention the really great illustrations!
I think of comic book reading like taking a multivitamin: If you read a good comic book a day you will probably get your daily need of new vocabulary words!
POW, SLAM, BAM, and CRASH are all words you would expect to see in a comic book. But there are bigger words in comics too.
Immortality, deposed, infiltrated, hermitage, enables, sustenance, expanse, thwart, biased, exile, impervious, elimination, excruciating, tactics, inflicted, resuming, confinement, sulk, symbiotically, rendered, obligations, endure, elimination, barbs, treacherous, bravado, susceptible, vindictive, decommissioned, depleting, wield, ensure, husk, obligue, vanquished, sleuth, invulnerable, quips, telepathic, havoc, cybernetics, sarcasm, obstinacy, dormant, replicants, conventional, fisticuffs, embodiment, thriving, and psychic are all words I've learned from reading comic books! And that's just the tip of the vocabulary iceberg.
How many comic books do you think I had to read to learn all of these words? Maybe 25? Fifty? How about three? The books I found all these great words in are from Sonic the Hedgehog comic books numbers 159,184 and 186, published by Archie Comics.
I also love the stories in my comic books. The characters are interesting and they change with different things happening to them in a continuing story. I love looking at back issues of my comic books to remember when a new character first appeared or when something exciting happened that changed the entire story line!
More and more people are reading comics, and authors are realizing the comic book format is enjoyable to kids. Books that would normally by considered regular reading books can now have a comic book look and format with lots of pictures that tell the story along with the written words. You know, the one about a wimpy kid…
This kind of comic book format makes reading easier and more fun. Plus, they are great educational tools! Last year on a very challenging national test I scored in the top one percent in English in the country. I'm not saying this to brag, but I want to make a point that I'd say comic book reading is a benefit!
Danielle Azzolina is a member of the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.
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Guided Reading Nonfiction Focus Practice Pack - Level L
What are your other students doing while you're meeting with a guided reading group? The Scholastic Guided Reading Program Practice Packs include materials and ideas for easy-to-implement, engaging activities for learning centers and at-home work. Each 48-page book includes three activities per book title in Scholastic Guided Reading Fiction Focus and Nonficiton Focus editions, plus more. Available in Levels A-N. Includes:
- Unique ways to respond to Scholastic Guided Reading Fictio
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