KA-POW!

Did you grow up reading comic books or the Sunday funnies? I did. My personal favorites were Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield. They are funny and kids can relate to them. Even super hero comics managed to find their way into my hands when I was young. I enjoyed the illustrations so much and the sound effects of the characters.I've discovered that struggling readers like comic books for a couple of reasons. The text isn't intimidating. The pictures catch their eyes. They don't seem as long as a book. When I introduce my struggling readers to Calvin and Hobbes, they fall in love with it. {So Do I} It's a fun and friendly text they relate to. Calvin and Hobbes have all kinds of imagination adventures in everyday situations. I especially like Calvin and Hobbes because the author and illustrator Bill Watterson uses language that is above where my students are. But because it's a comic book, they are willing to jump in and try those insanely big words. My 3rd grade student took a stab at the word "dictatorial impunity". The other plus is all of the grunts and groans and yells that require the student to access their phonics when they yell out, "WAARRGH!" If you have a student that continues to struggle with reading, consider getting some comic books into their hands. It just may change the way they feel about reading. Writing this blog post got me so excited about comics that I decided to make a freebie to share with all of you at Innovative Connections. It's got comic resources to help you find some great reads to share and a mini lesson where the students get to make their own comic strip. I can see the smiles now coming across your faces.... click here to download it right now. Adrianne Meldrum has a degree in Elementary Education. She currently tutors struggling readers and middle school math students. She is the author of Kidscogworks.com and creator of Brain Tower . Adrianne is the wife of an engineer and a mother to three very handsome boys.