Use graphic novels to teach visual and verbal literacy.

While our kids today are communicating outside the classroom in abbreviated text bursts with visual icons, teachers are required to teach them to critically listen, think, and read and write complex texts. Graphic novels are a uniquely poised vehicle we can use to bridge this dissonance between student communication skills and preferences with mandated educational goals.

 

Worth a Thousand Words details how and why graphic novels are complex texts with advanced-level vocabulary and demonstrates how to read and analyze these texts. It includes practical advice on how to integrate these books into both ELA and content-area classrooms and provides an extensive list of appropriate graphic novels for K-8 students, lesson suggestions, paired graphic/prose reading suggestions, and additional resources for taking these texts further. Learn how to:

 

• Address teacher/parent/administrator fears (ie. classics vs. comics, and meeting educational mandates)

• Select appropriate graphic novels for specific themes/needs and how to address any possible reading choice challenges by parents, colleagues, or administrators

• Determine grade and reading level appropriateness

• Provide solid research on how graphic novels improve teaching and meeting diverse student needs while being highly motivating

• Teach teachers how to read and teach graphic novels - revealing the complexities that inform visual and verbal literacy, critical thinking, and sequencing skills

• Integrate over 20 graphic novels into lessons on character development, language usage and literary devices, prose, math, social studies, science, and more

 

Perfect for parents and teachers in grades K-9, Worth a Thousand Words opens up an exciting new world for teaching children visual and verbal literacy.