Parents and teachers often express concern about students reading graphic novels and picture books at upper grades. What we have to remember is that picture books and graphic novels are formats of storytelling. They are not a designation for an age of reader. Picture books are often very complex and very sophisticated and often beyond the comprehension ability of a first-grader or a second-grader without some support.
And they can often be a great way to build background knowledge, to teach a lesson in language arts class, a great way to share a story with parents at home. And when we’re looking at graphic novels, the research shows that graphic novels can actually be a gate for many kids into more rigorous reading.
Graphic novels present a reading challenge for them because they’re not used to incorporating the illustrations into the text as they read as they get older. And so it can actually prove to be a way to push them as a reader to try a type of reading that is ubiquitous, popular, and yet they lack confidence in being able to read. Picture books and graphic novels are great ways to introduce kids to wonderful authors, storytelling, illustrators, and they certainly have relevance in upper grade classrooms and in homes with older children.
