Teach Reading and Writing Issue 19

be more challenging than you’d expect, and offer a great segue into developing the quality of dialogue in prose writing as well. A space for silence In recent years, wordless picture books have grown in use in the primary classroom, and the importance of developing appreciation of visual literacy and its role in reading and writing should not be underestimated. The comic equivalent of a wordless picturebook, the silent comic, offers another opportunity to explore the rich offering of visual narratives. Silent comics can open a world of complex and subtle narratives to a much broader range of children. Though easier to access, the level of discussion that can be garnered from visual texts has the potential to be in-depth and high-level. Without the barrier that written words can sometimes create, discussion can focus on the richness of the material, the intent of the creator, and character motivation. For a starting point, take a look at works such as Gustavo Duarte’s Monsters , or Peter Van Den Ende’s stunning comic The Wanderer . Although they contrast in style, both these titles excel in silent storytelling. If you’re interested in teaching art using silent comics, Little LICAF’s free downloadable planning for The Wanderer is a great place to start ( bit. ly/3QeAsyb ). The sessions develop approaches to mark making inspired by Van Den Ende’s iconic black and white illustrative style and build from there to produce a collective artwork based on the story. Comics in the wider curriculum Across the curriculum, graphic narratives can be a great tool for both acquiring and demonstrating knowledge. Various studies working with different age groups have shown that material presented in comic form boosts engagement and information retention when compared to reading a standard text. There are more and more non-fiction comic titles available to support use of the form across the foundation subjects. Titles like Emma Reynold’s Drawn to Change the Worl d and Mike Barfield and Jess Bradleys’ A Poo, a Gnu and You series, are just two examples of comics being used to convey complex non-fiction information in an accessible and memorable way. Writing non-fiction comics in order to demonstrate subject knowledge is another way to challenge a class. Elements of history, science and geography all lend themselves to being depicted in a sequence of words and image. You may be surprised by how details in the pictures demonstrate subject understanding. For example, children may pick up the wider historical context in the illustrations, or demonstrate the concept of a sequence by displaying progression between panels. These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the possibilities for comics in the primary curriculum. Comics are a form that covers all genres: they can be silly and anarchic, and deeply poetic, they can present complicated information in an accessible form, or themselves be incredibly complex to make sense of. This versatility and range offers huge potential for educators. Just for fun Comics clubs and dedicated ‘writing for pleasure’ time, either in or outside of school, can provide a great opportunity to nurture reading for pleasure. Use comics as a hook to bring groups of children together to collaborate on a creative project. This offers a perfect opportunity to involve children who don’t see themselves as writers, or artists, in the process. Embrace children’s exploration of existing characters from their favourite books, games and TV shows. When writing for pleasure, they should have the opportunity to draw from the stories and pastimes they love, to create whatever they wish. There’s no need to start from scratch if they’re feeling overwhelmed by the idea. This freedom to reinvent characters or storylines from existing stories and put them together in inventive mashups is well-used throughout the history of comics, and offers another way to break down the barriers that might put children off writing in their own time. Lucy Starbuck Braidley is the producer and host of Comic Boom - The Comics in Education Podcast and is senior programme manager for Reading for Enjoyment at The National Literacy Trust. @Lucy_Braidley comicboom.co.uk www.teachwire.net | 37 BOOKS FOR SCHOO L S