1
The Impact of Reading Graphic Novels
On Student Motivation
& Comprehension
Susan Hines, Mountain View Elementary,
5th grade
Katy Dellinger, Lincolnton Middle School,
7th grade
Appalachian State University
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Background
For our collective years of teaching elementary and middle school children with special
needs, we have found that by the time our students get to third grade, they either love
reading or absolutely despise it. One of the main reasons our students dislike reading is
because they struggle significantly with reading, and for this reason, they have not found
anything to read that excites them or motivates them to want to read more. An
expectation at our schools is that all Language Arts teachers require their students to
complete home reading logs throughout the week or the students are required to read a
certain number of books to accumulate Accelerated Reading (AR) points. They are to
read at least 30 minutes per night and then record what they have read or keep an AR log.
The problem here is that if the students are not motivated to read then they will not do
their homework, which leads to lower homework grades, and could possibly lead to
failing report card grades. This, in turn, frustrates the students even more about the
thought of reading. As the students’ frustrations build, they spend less and less time
reading. They fall further and further behind in their reading skills and in their general
academic knowledge learned from reading. Additionally, it is a challenge to find material
on the student’s instructional reading level that is appropriate for interest at their age
level.
During one of our classes through this graduate program, we were introduced to the genre
of graphic novels. Sad as it may seem, neither of us had never before even picked up a
graphic novel. Many reasons come to my mind. However, when forced to do research
about graphic novels, we were challenged to read one as part of a class assignment.
While studying and exploring our chosen graphic novels, we came to the realization that
graphic novels were more than just silly comics. One of the most interesting things about
graphic novels is that there is a lot of content involved from which the students can learn.
There are some that cover biographical information (Anne Frank), and others cover
historical perspectives (Maus) and scientific information (Magic School Bus). They have
rich plots and deal with themes relevant to our students today. They help struggling
readers understand and comprehend the text much better by using the support of
illustrations.
The material in the general classroom is often above our student’s instructional reading
level and the programmed interventions used in EC classrooms do not provide enough
practice in reading text. We wanted our research to discover if incorporating graphic
novels on children’s instructional reading level into the reading intervention programs in
the EC classes would aid in the motivation of reluctant readers to read more and be more
involved in text. In addition, we wanted our research to answer these questions: Can
incorporating graphic novels on student’s instructional reading level into programmed
intervention programs: 1) increase student motivation to spend more time reading? 2)
increase student’s comprehension of reading?
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Research Review
Using effective strategies and materials that appeal to learners’ interests can improve the
reading abilities of reluctant readers and help them comprehend the subject matter found
in content area books (Ambe, 2007). In Schwertner’s Action Research Project the results
indicated students had increased motivation and confidence in reading by reading graphic
novels in literature circles. She made the following points: a). the literature circles created
a feeling of a “community of readers” that helped students become “absorbed” in books;
b). the graphic novel offer visuals that are helpful for the reluctant reader who cannot
visualize what he is reading along with a shorter text that appeals to reluctant readers; c).
the graphic novel aided critical reading as the students not only decode words but also
analyzed visuals along with literary elements and connected the two; d). graphic novels
address current, relevant, complex social issues that the students related to (Schwertner,
2008). Struggling readers are often not able to visualize what they are reading. The
graphics in a graphic novel support the text and allows the reader to focus on meaning in
order to comprehend the story (Smetana, 2010). It is well known that students who have
difficulty reading do not spend much time in this activity. They do not see themselves as
readers. Smetana makes the point that the different format of graphic novels and
sophistication of the stories are motivating and engage their attention. When students
begin to be successful, they want to continue to read. Griffith reports that students who
were identified as having a learning disability, self-reported that graphic novels motivated
them to read and aided their comprehension (Griffith, 2010).
In B. Edward’s findings, reading graphic novels and Free Voluntary Reading Time
(FVR), increased student time in text and student’s enjoyment of reading and as a result
they were more critical readers. The results also indicated an increase in comprehension
exercises and greater growth in comprehension (Edwards, 2008). In Snowball’s article,
she states that children who read for pleasure show improvements in reading, writing, and
vocabulary and acquire these skills without conscious effort. Teenage reluctant readers
are attracted to comics. They are an invaluable tool for
motivating reluctant readers. Additionally, teens today have so much to keep them
occupied and are surrounded by increasingly complex media, their expectations for
entertainment is high. They have been raised in a very visual world. Comics provide the
teens the opportunity to experience reading for entertainment on several different levels
(Snowball, 2005). When Brandeis Hillel Day School in San Francisco offered a graphic
novel book club, it became so popular, they had a waiting list to get in. Further, students
who had read only required books in the past, continued to return to the school library for
recreational reading. This confirms the impact that graphic novels have on reading
motivation (Seyfried, 2008).
The quality of the value of graphic novels has been questioned by reading teachers and
parents. Some see the graphic novels as just picture books with no educational value.
Schwarz suggests that reading graphic novels may require more complex cognitive skills
than reading text alone (Schwarz, 2002). Furthermore, in any subject area, studying a
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graphic novel can bring media literacy into the curriculum as students examine the
medium itself (Schwarz, 2002).
This research supports forming literature groups that focus on graphic novels to be an
approach to increase struggling reader’s motivation to spend more time reading and
engaging in text. The graphics help the reader visualize what they are reading, thus aiding
in comprehension. It is important for students to understand that these books share the
same literary qualities as other books (Smetana, 2008).
Participants
We each worked with a small group of students (5) and most receive EC services in
reading and writing. Their instructional reading levels range from on grade level to four
grade levels below expectations.
Susan teaches at Mountain View Elementary School in Hickory, North Carolina with an
enrollment of 710 students ranging from grades Kindergarten through 6th grade. Twentythree percent of the students at this regular school receive free and reduced lunch.
Eighty-three percent of the students are Caucasian, seven percent are African-American,
two percent are Hispanic, seven percent are Asian/Pacific Islander, and the remainder of
the population is American Indian/Alaskan Native.
Katy teaches at Lincolnton Middle School in Lincoln County with an enrollment of 670
students ranging from grades 6th through 8th. Seventy percent of the school’s population
receives free and reduced lunch. Twenty-three percent of the population is Limited
English Proficiency, twenty percent is African-American, and fifty-seven percent is
Caucasian. Lincolnton Middle School falls into the category of being a Title 1 school.
Susan’s Students
Susan worked with a 5th grade group, 3 boys and 2 girls. The EC students receive direct
instruction in reading and writing in a “resource” setting .Their EC teacher uses the
“Language!” program for 45 minutes daily. The students then receive additional
instruction from an instructional specialist (45 minutes) for comprehension strategies
with other students who are struggling readers, but who are not identified as EC.
Molly is a 5th grade EC student (Specific Learning Disabled). She scored a Level one on
her 4th grade EOG (Extend 2, Alternate Assessment) in reading. On 3/7/11, her STAR
Assessment instructional reading level was 1.5. Molly’s auditory comprehension is
stronger than her reading comprehension and she does not have confidence in her reading
ability. She reads at home most nights. She has been served in the EC program for two
years. She had been reading a Junie B. Jones book.
Kyle is a 5th grade EC student (Specific Learning Disabled). He is also an ELL student.
He scored a Level 2 on his 4th grade EOG (Extend 2, Alternate Assessment) in reading.
On 3/7/11, his STAR Assessment instructional reading level was 3.1. Kyle does not enjoy
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reading. He does not consistently read independently at home. He has been served in the
EC program for two years. English is not spoken in his home. He was not currently
reading any book independently.
John is a 5th grade EC student (Specific Learning Disabled). He scored a Level 3 on his
4th grade EOG (Extend 2, Alternate Assessment) in reading. On 3/7/11, his STAR
Assessment instructional reading level was 3.4. John has focusing issues. He wants to
read what other students are reading and is frustrated with reading lower level books. He
does consistently read independently at home. He has been served in the EC program for
three years. He had been reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Zeb is a 5th grade EC student (Other Health Impaired). He scored a Level 3 on his 4th
grade EOG (Extend 2, Alternate Assessment) in reading. On 3/7/11, his STAR
Assessment instructional reading level was 4.1 He has difficulty staying on task when he
has to exert mental control. He does not consistently read independently at home. He
needs frequent prompting to read. He has been served in the EC program for three years.
He had been reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Holly is a 5th grade EC student (Specific Learning Disabled). She scored a Level 2 on her
4th grade EOG in reading. On 3/7/11, her STAR Assessment instructional reading level
was 4.5. She is beginning to enjoy reading and becoming confident in her reading
abilities. She consistently reads independently at home. She has been served in the EC
program for four years. She has found a series of books she enjoys reading, Beverly
Clearly books.
Katy’s Students
Katy worked with a group of 7th graders, 3 boys and 2 girls. Three of the students are
EC; one of the students has a 504 plan because of his Autism and is also an LEP student.
One of the boys is a regular education student who just happens to fall in the Inclusion
Language Arts classroom. All students except for one of the girls is in the Inclusion
Language Arts classroom. The last girl is in the Language Arts Resource class. All five
students receive Language Arts instruction (reading and writing) each day a week for 60
minutes each. The student in the Resource classroom also receives an additional 30
minutes of Corrective Reading instruction to help with decoding and fluency skills while
the other students are involved in SSR during the mornings.
Emory is a 7th grade EC student. His instructional reading level is 7th grade. He is a
general education student who enjoys reading in his free time. He walks to the bookstore
near his home to purchase books with his allowance. He reads high level reading material
such as The Shack. He has very good reading comprehension. He enjoys reading graphic
novels. He rarely completes his home reading logs.
Eduardo is a 7th grade EC student. His instructional reading level is 6th grade. He is an
ESL student who enjoys reading, especially Harry Potter books and graphic novels such
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as the Bone series. He enjoys reading graphic novels. He completes his home reading
logs most of the time, but he struggles on reading benchmarks and EOGs.
Sierra is a 7th grade EC student with a learning disability in math only. She just moved to
Lincoln County from Georgia in November, 2010. Her instructional reading level is 6th
grade. She is a regular education student in the Inclusion Language Arts class, but is
served in the Math Resource Class. She is very motivated and enjoys reading Nicholas
Sparks’ books.
Austin is a 7th grade EC student. His instructional reading level is 4th grade. He has a
Learning Disability in Basic Reading and Reading Comprehension. His mannerisms are
eccentric and he is only motivated to read when it is something he enjoys. He is very
unorganized and hardly ever turns in homework. He is served in the Inclusion Language
Arts class.
Tiffany is a 7th grade EC student. Her instructional reading level is 2nd grade. She
participates in the Corrective Reading Program. She is ADHD and struggles to maintain
attention during reading class. She enjoys math class, but does not like to read out loud in
class. She is in the Resource class for math and reading and takes the Extend 2 reading
EOG.
Intervention Plan/Instructional Procedure
We met with the students twice a week for 45 minutes for four weeks. We led the groups
in reading a graphic novel through a “Literature Reading Circle” and discussion. The
groups previewed a collection of graphic novels and chose which book they wanted to
read together as a group. Simultaneously, the students were asked to read graphic novels
during their independent reading time at school and at home. They kept a log of the
books they read and the amount of time spent reading. They also responded to their
graphic novels on a class blog.
Week One: The students previewed the collection of graphic novels. We led the group in
a class discussion on how the students feel about reading and what they thought about the
graphic novels. The Surveys were administered, “How I Feel About Reading” (Garfield)
Survey and “What I Know About Graphic Novels.” The surveys were read aloud to the
students. The students were given instructions that they would need to keep a “Reading
Log” for their independent reading. They had the choice to read from the graphic novel
collection or another book of their choosing. They were shown how to get on the Class
Reading Blog and how to maneuver within the blog. We explained to them that they
would write responses about their graphic novels on the blog.
The students were given pre-comprehension selections on their instructional levels. These
were reading selections with multiple choice answers. (A teacher survey was also given
to the students’ teachers on their reading interventions and their students reading
practices.)
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Week Two: We checked reading logs each day we met and discussed what they were
reading and their thoughts about the graphic novels and recorded anecdotal notes. We
discussed the “Literature Circle” and the roles of the members with the guided “role
sheets.” We modeled the roles for them this week with the plan for the students to take
over the roles next week. We read the graphic novel each day, taking turns, and discussed
the following: main ideas of the chapters, time progression and what happened to
characters during time progression, illustrations and how they supported text, text-to-self
connections, and predictions. They entered responses to the readings on the blog.
Week Three: We checked reading logs and discussed what they were reading and their
thoughts about graphic novels and if their ideas about graphic novels had changed. We
recorded anecdotal notes. We explained the roles for the “Literature Circle” and the
students took over roles to lead discussions as we took turns reading. The students had
different roles each day we read. Again discussions revolved around the following: main
ideas of the chapters, time progression and what happened to characters during time
progression, illustrations and how they supported text, text-to-self connections, and
predictions. They entered responses to the reading on the blog.
Week Four: We checked reading logs and discussed what they were reading and their
thoughts about graphic novels at this point. We recorded anecdotal notes. We finished
reading the graphic novel with discussions similar to Weeks two and three. We
administered the surveys again, “How I Feel About Reading” (Garfield Survey and
“What I Know About Graphic Novels.” We gave them post-comprehension selections on
their instructional reading level. They entered a blog responding to their thoughts on
graphic novels.
Data Collection
“How I Feel About Reading” (Garfield) pre and post survey: We administered before and
after the study to compare scores. This was read aloud to the students.
“What I Know About Graphic Novels” pre and post survey: We administered before and
after the study to compare scores. This was read aloud to the students.
Pre and post Comprehension assessment: A reading selection on student’s instructional
reading level was given before and after the study to compare the level of text
comprehension. These were reading selections with multiple choice answers that were
created on EOG Test Maker. With this program, selections can be created for student’s
instructional reading level. The objectives were controlled so that they were the same for
the Pretest and Post Test.
Informal observations of daily class notes, conferences and student journals were
recorded.
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Reading Journals (blogs) and home/independent reading logs: Journals and reading logs
were monitored and data was compared about students reading selections, time spent
reading, and content and length/quality of blog entries.
Teacher Interview: This interview asked the teachers about their students, their student’s
reading practices and the teacher’s strategies and interventions to help struggling readers
as well as how the teachers differentiate.
Data Analysis
Data was stored in folders. Each child had a folder with raw data and was kept secured in
a file cabinet. Data was shared between partners via email attachments.
1. Data from Garfield Inventory (pre and post) results was collected and entered into a
spreadsheet/graph to compare student responses.
2. Data from comprehension pre and post test was collected and entered into a
spreadsheet/graph for comparison.
3. Data from home/independent logs were collected and analyzed.
4. Informal notes and observations from the following were collected and analyzed
using the codes below* and entered into a spreadsheet/graph for comparison.
a. Data from questionnaire, “What Do I Know About Graphic Novels?”
b. Teacher interviews
c. Reading Journals (Blogs)
d. Anecdotal notes from class discussions
*PC: positive comment
CN: comprehension of text meaning noted
SPI: student participation in class discussion
SPC: student’s participation independently in journal blog
Results
Instructional Reading Levels
Both of us picked the group of students to work with throughout our study and we
assessed each one of them with either an informal reading inventory or STAR
assessment. The results for each of the students are listed below. (Tables 1A and 1B)
Table 1A
5th grade Student:
Molly
Kyle
John
Instructional Level according to STAR
Assessment:
1.5
3.1
3.4
9
4.1
4.5
Zeb
Holly
Table 1B
7th grade Student:
Frustration Level:
Emory
Tiffany
Austin
Sierra
Eduardo
8th
3rd
5th
7th
7th
Instructional
Level:
7th
2nd
4th
6th
6th
Independent Level:
6th
1st
3rd
5th
5th
*Levels were based on ASU Informal Reading Inventory.
After compiling all of the data from each student according to their instructional level, we
had to pick out graphic novels which matched up to the students’ instructional levels.
Graphic novels were checked out in the school libraries, in classroom libraries, and
brought from home to create a wide selection from which the students could pick. Each
group of students was allowed to pick out the graphic novels they wanted to read together
as a group. Then each student was given the opportunity to select a graphic novel to read
independently in order to complete his or her graphic novel reading logs.
Garfield Attitude Survey
The Garfield Attitude Survey was conducted on the first day we were with our group of
students. Both the 5th grade and the 7th grade students had the survey read aloud to them
and they were given explicit directions on how to answer each of the questions. The
results are listed in the table below. (Tables 2A and 2B)
Table 2A
5th
grade
Molly
Kyle
John
Zeb
Holly
Pre-Survey
(3/7/2011)
Recreational: Academic: Full
Scale:
28
22
50
27
22
49
30
23
53
15
14
29
21
18
39
Post-Survey
(3/7/2011)
Recreational: Academic: Full
Scale:
35
27
62
20
21
41
28
27
55
16
19
35
26
28
54
10
Table 2B
7th grade
Emory
Tiffany
Austin
Sierra
Eduardo
Pre-Survey
(3/7/2011)
Recreational: Academic: Full
Scale:
32
26
58
18
22
40
26
22
48
19
22
41
31
26
57
Post-Survey
(3/31/2011)
Recreational: Academic: Full
Scale:
33
27
60
24
20
44
28
24
52
23
23
46
36
23
59
According to the results, there was a slight increase in reading attitudes for both groups.
More specifically, it was interesting that the academic score was higher for the pre-survey
and then the recreational score increased. This shows that the attitude towards reading
for fun increased slightly after participating in the research study. This could have
contributed to several factors, but one of which could be the result of experiences with a
new type of genre, graphic novels.
For example, the question for which all of the students changed their answer was: “how
do you feel about spending free time reading?” Most of the students circled the mad
Garfield face or the unhappy Garfield face which would have given them either 1 or 2
points. During the post-survey, it was noted that all of the students either circled the
happy Garfield face or the excited Garfield face. This gave them either 3 or 4 points for
that question which increased the recreational reading score.
What Do I Know About Graphic Novels?
Then we gave the students a survey called “What do I know about Graphic Novels?”
There were four questions which asked students to answer by putting checks in the
appropriate boxes based on their answers. The information gathered from this survey
told us who knew what graphic novels were and how they felt about them specifically.
After conducting the second survey titled “What do I know about Graphic Novels?” it
became apparent to both of us who really knew what graphic novels were and who had
no idea there was even such a thing. The boys in the 7th grade group knew that graphic
novels were similar to comic books. In fact, all of the boys in the 7th grade group had
actually read graphic novels before and were eager to learn more about them. One of the
questions asked “I have read the following number of graphic novels”, and the boys in
the 7th grade group had all answered by checking the box “too many to count”. This gave
us a good indication as to who would have a better understanding of the books that we
would read and discuss during the literature circle.
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Class Blogs
Before beginning the graphic novel as a group, we explained to the students what our
expectations were for them. In addition to reading a graphic novel within the group,
students were expected to pick out one on their own which matched their instructional
reading level, and to participate in the class blog, as well as complete a graphic novel
reading log.
Students were given a username and password to create a post and to respond to other
students’ posts within the blog. Since this was the first time many of the students had
ever used a blog, we made it optional as to how many responses each student had to
create on the blog. They responded to their independent reading or our class novel.
(Tables 3A and 3B)
The results for Ms. Dellinger’s class were as follows:
Table 3A
Student:
Emory
Tiffany
Sierra
Austin
Eduardo
# of Entries posted:
1
2
2
3
1
# of Responses posted:
3
5
4
6
2
The results for Mrs. Hines’ class were as follows:
Table 3B
Student:
Molly
Zeb
John
Kyle
Holly
# of Entries posted:
4
3
5
3
4
# of Responses posted:
0
1
2
0
1
This was also considered optional because several of the students in the group did not
have access to a computer with internet. Time was given to the students during the study
to either read their graphic novel or respond to the blogs. It was fascinating to see how
quickly the students could learn to maneuver through the blogs and respond to one
another about the books that they were reading and/or what they know/don’t know about
graphic novels.
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Reading Logs
Students were also asked to read a graphic novel independently in addition to the graphic
novel read during the literature circle and complete a graphic novel reading log. The
reading log that was given to each student in the study had a designated spot to fill out the
title of the book that the student was reading, number of pages read, a comment about the
book, and the date.
At both Lincolnton Middle School and Mountain View Elementary School, each student
in a Language Arts class is responsible for completing and turning in a home reading log
weekly. This counts as a homework/participation grade for that student. However, even
though this is universal, it is up to the Language Arts Teacher’s discretion as to how
many nights per week a student is responsible for reading in order for a reading log to be
counted as complete. At Lincolnton Middle School, students are responsible for reading
30 minutes nightly for a total of 4 nights. At Mountain View, they are responsible for
reading at least 20 minutes each weeknight and accumulate a specified number of
Accelerated Reader points. Before beginning the study, we both discussed with the
Language Arts teachers of the students in our study if they would count the graphic novel
reading log as the student’s home reading log. The teachers were very pleased with this
because the students in the study were the majority of the students who would
inconsistently turn in reading logs anyways, which would in turn lower their grades in
that class.
Completion of Reading Logs (# of entries completed):
Table 4
Student:
Molly (5th)
Kyle (5th)
Zeb (5th)
Holly (5th)
John (5th)
Emory (7th)
Eduardo (7th)
Austin (7th)
Tiffany (7th)
Sierra (7th)
Week 1
0
0
1
2
2
0
2
2
0
2
Week 2
2
1
1
3
3
1
2
1
2
3
Week 3
1
1
1
3
2
1
2
1
1
4
Week 4
2
1
1
2
2
3
2
2
2
1
Total
5
3
4
10
9
5
8
6
5
10
Comprehension
In addition to reading attitude, we also wanted to determine if reading a different type of
genre would contribute to the reading comprehension of the students. Many of the
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students in our study seemed to enjoy reading at times and were even fluent readers, but
struggled when it came time to take EOG tests or reading benchmarks. We thought that
we could use specific interventions including the Literature Circle to enhance the reading
comprehension of the students in the study.
Before we began our group reading of the selected graphic novel for each group, each
student was given a comprehension assessment to determine how well he or she
comprehended. The questions were in multiple-choice format with questions regarding
plot, characters, setting, etc. This test helped us, as teachers, to determine what our
students know about the elements of both fiction and nonfiction. The test was given to
each student based on their instructional level for reading.
Comprehension Results (Pre and Posttest):
Table 5
Student:
Molly (5th)
Kyle (5th)
John (5th)
Zeb (5th)
Holly (5th)
Emory (7th)
Tiffany (7th)
Eduardo (7th)
Austin (7th)
Sierra (7th)
Pretest:
60
20
30
60
50
24
20
40
20
16
Posttest:
70
30
60
70
70
84
72
80
86
76
As you can see from the comparison of the pretest and the posttest, all of the students’
scores increased in their comprehension skills. This could have been caused by
numerous things, which will be discussed later on.
Literature Circle
During the weeks of interventions, the students were assigned roles in a literature circle.
Before reading the book, students were asked to make predictions about what they think
the book will be about and what the characters will be like. We also discussed elements
of fiction. The novel that was selected was the book the group agreed on after
previewing different graphic novels within the classroom. The activities that took place
during and after reading were led by different roles in the group, which were assigned
and explained daily by us.
The “Discussion Leader” led the group. The “Picture Reader” used the guide to draw a
few graphics and to explain what the picture is telling the reader. The “Travel Tracker”
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kept track of the setting of the story and kept up with where the characters were during
the selection read. The “Gist Expert” worked with the group to decide on the main idea
of the selection. The “Predictor” was in charge of predicting what would happen next in
the story along with providing evidence for their rationale. The “Connector” of the group
helped the group to make connections between the reader and the text. Each student was
given a role sheet to complete each day for the particular role that he or she played
throughout the literature discussion.
Daily Roles of the Group:
Table 6A
5th grade
March 14
March 17
March 21
March24
March 29
Picture
Reader
Molly
Kenny
Zeb
John
Molly
Travel
Tracker
Zeb
Holly
John
Molly
Kenny
Gist
Expert
Kenny
Molly
Mrs. H
Zeb
John
Predictor
Connector
Discussion
Leader
Mrs. H
Mrs. H
Holly
Mrs. H
Mrs. H
John
Zeb
Molly
Kenny
Holly
Holly
John
Kenny
Holly
Zeb
Picture
Reader
Tiffany
Travel
Tracker
Austin
Gist
Expert
Eduardo
Predictor
Connector
Emory
Sierra
Discussion
Leader
Ms. D
Sierra
Tiffany
Austin
Eduardo
Emory
Ms. D
Emory
Sierra
Tiffany
Austin
Eduardo
Ms. D
Eduardo
Emory
Sierra
Tiffany
Austin
Ms. D
Austin
Eduardo
Emory
Sierra
Tiffany
Ms. D
Table 6B
7th grade
March
15
March
17
March
22
March
24
March
29
Informal Observations/Notes
In addition to the Literature Circle roles, we both conferenced with students daily about
the independent reading they were doing with their graphic novel of choice. We kept a
record of what the students said and coded their participation into a chart which was then
transcribed into a graph for comparison. (Tables 7A and 7B)
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Table 7A (Mrs. Hines’ Informal Observations/Notes)
3/14
Holly is reading a Nancy
Drew graphic novel SPI.
During reading she
participated with little
assistance with words
and participated with
group discussion and
grasped concepts SP and
CN.
3/17
Still reading
Nancy Drew
and said that
she was
enjoying it SPI.
She made a
connection to
the book with
the cover
illustration CN.
She with the
class, made the
personal
connection with
cancer (their
teacher has
cancer.)
3/21
She chose to
read an AR
book for now.
(Her mother
wanted her to
read an AR
book). She
blogged about
Nancy Drew.
She made a
personal
connection with
one of the
characters
(there is a
character
named Holly)
and she said it
was scary. She
was the Lead
for “Literature
Circle” and
needed help.
John
John chose to read Lunch
Lady SPI. He says he
loves it. She is like a
super-hero who is
undercover PC. During
class discussion, he
participated and grasped
concepts of CN.
He has now
read two Lunch
Lady books
SPI. He asked if
one of the
Wimpy Kids
books was a
graphic novel
and asked to
read that one
next. He had
found it in the
school library.
He, with the
class, made the
connection with
cancer. He
made a brief
entry on the
blog, saying the
book was
“cool”.
Zeb
Zeb has not done any
independent reading. He
chose Bone GN to take
home. He did read with
the group when asked.
He offered only one
He said he was
still reading
Bone, but had
not recorded it
on his GN log.
He made the
John has now
read 4 GN and
continuing with
Diary of
Wimpy Kid SPI.
He led the
discussion
about what we
had read
previously. He
read with good
accuracy, but
had a little
trouble finding
his place
following the
dialogue
bubbles. He
offered an
observation
about a
prediction (they
are going to
donate money
to the pandas)
CN SP. He
made four
entries on the
blog, two on his
independent
reading and two
on Zebrafish.
He made two
entries at home
SPI.
Again he said
he was still
reading Bone,
but he had to
record his
reading in class.
Holly
3/24
She got a new
GN to read,
Lunch Lady
(John
recommended
it) SPI. When I
asked her she
did state that
she liked GN.
She likes to see
the characters in
the pictures.
She read her
part today with
little help from
me and
participated in
class discussion
CN. She
entered
paragraph on
the blog with
several details
about the book
CN.
He is still
reading Diary
of Wimpy Kid.
During reading,
John read with
little help and
participated
well in
discussion SP
CN.
3/29
She did not read
over the
weekend.
During class,
she read well
(volunteered).
She wanted to
keep reading.
She was “travel
tracker” and
noted that the
characters had
changed from
being strangers
to being friends
SP CN.
3/31
Holly stated
that she “sort
of” liked GN.
She turned in
her GN log with
ten entries. She
said she read 30
minutes each of
those times.
He did read
over the
weekend. In
class, he
participated
well and read
with
enthusiasm. He
had the role of
the “connector”
today and made
the connection
between the
kids in the book
doing a
fundraiser and
their school
doing a
fundraiser for
JDRF.
John stated that
he really didn’t
like the GN,
except Lunch
Lady. He turned
in his GN log
with nine
entries. He said
he read 30
minutes each of
those times.
Zeb said he is
now reading
Elsewhere, but
did not fill in
his log (he did it
in class again).
Zeb did not
read over the
weekend.
During class, he
did read, when
asked, in a
Zeb stated that
he does not like
reading of any
kind. He said he
did like Bone,
He turned in his
16
comment, “I like the
pictures.”
connection,
with the help of
his classmates,
about cancer.
The girl in the
story and his
teacher both
have bone
cancer.
Molly
Molly is reading Owly
SPI. During reading
today, I had to help her
read almost every word
SP.
She is still
reading Owly
SPI. She did
participate in
class discussion
and volunteered
answers. She
made a blog
entry about
Owly (there was
a raccoon) and
an entry about
Zebrafish which
I could not read
due to spelling
errors SP.
Kyle
Kyle is reading Lunch
Lady and says he loves it
SP. She is like a superhero. During reading
today he participated and
understood concepts.
He said he is
still reading
Lunch Lady
(though did not
record it on his
log) SPI. He has
begun
Elsewhere.
During our
conference
time, he could
tell me much
about the book.
He said the
pictures were
helpful in his
understanding
of the book. He
made two, one-
He read when
called on, but
with no
enthusiasm. He
did get a little
excited about
the band in the
story. He said
he liked to play
the guitar. He
entered silly
comments on
the blog,
treating it like a
social network
site. After
prompting, he
said he liked the
last two
chapters we
read in
Zebrafish SP.
She is still
reading Owly
SPI. During
reading, she
still needed
much help with
reading words.
She stumbled
over almost
every word. (I
picked a page
for her to read
with “easier”
words.) With
the discussion
being oral, she
is insightful and
is able to
answer
discussion
questions CN.
Zeb did say he
liked GN, but
did not give a
reason. He
made a single
sentence entry
on the blog
about a
supporting fact
in the story
(“They are
trying to get
their band
going.”). SP CN
nonchalant
manner, but
made an
accurate
prediction when
asked. SP CN
GN log with 4
entries. He said
he read 15
minutes each of
those times SPI.
She is still
reading Owly
SPI. This is not
a long book, but
it is taking her a
long time to
read it. I’m not
sure how much
she is truly
reading at
home.
Molly stated
that she loves
GN and wants
to go to the
community
library,
especially this
summer, to find
and read more.
She turned in
her GN with
five entries. She
said she has
read 30 minutes
each of those
times SPI.
He says he is
still reading
Elsewhere, but
he has made no
entry on the log.
During reading,
he shared an
insight about
one of the
illustrations
CN. He again
made two, onesentence entries
on the blog
about what he
liked about the
books SP.
Kyle is not
filling out his
log. He is not
reading
independently.
He says he took
the book home,
but does not
remember
which one.
During reading
today, he
needed help
with several
words. The blog
assignment
today was to
make an entry
about a
She did not read
over the
weekend. For
class reading,
her role was
getting the
“gist” or main
idea. She
impressed me
with her level
of oral
comprehension.
Of all of the
students, she
struggles the
most with
decoding and
basic reading
skills. However,
she is on target
with
comprehension,
making
connections,
making
predictions...as
long as the
story is oral CN
SP.
He did not read
over the
weekend. He
had a very
difficult time
over the
weekend (major
family crisis
that has been
ongoing).
During class he
was our
“picture reader”
and was not
attentive during
class. (He has a
lot on his
mind.)
Kyle stated that
he liked GN
and would
choose them
again. He
turned in his
GN log with 3
entries. He said
he read 30-40
minutes each of
those times or
until his book
was done. SPI
17
sentence entries
on the blog.
One on Lunch
Lady and one
on Zebrafish.
He basically
said he liked the
books SP.
“connection”.
His was, “I
connect with
Zebrafish.” SP
Table 7B (Ms. Dellinger’s Informal Observations/Notes)
3/15
Emory stated that he enjoys
graphic novels because there
are a lot of pictures and they
are interesting. PC Emory,
along with his peers, made
accurate predictions about
what the story was going to
be about. CN
3/17
Emory is reading
Tall Tales and says
that is he is
enjoying the book.
SPI He created a
blog about what he
knows about GN
and responded to
another student.
SPI PC
3/22
Emory says he is
reading Tall Tales
along with another
book for SSR. He
says he has not had
time to fill out his
GN reading log.
He did not have
much to say today
during the lit.
circle.
Eduardo
Eduardo was the gist expert
today and his job was to tell
the main idea of what was
happening in Cyrano today.
He also helped in making
predictions. CN SPC he also
stated that he loves reading
GN for the fun of it. PC
Eduardo is reading
The Curse of Egypt
and has blogged
once about what he
knows about GN.
He said they are
filled with action
and lots of
pictures. PC SPI
SPC
Tiffany
Tiffany was the picture
reader during the lit. circle.
She made a comment about
how she was excited to read
Cyrano because it looks like
there may be something
about romance. PC SPI CN
Tiffany is reading
Lunch Lady and
says she is
enjoying the book.
PC SPI She
borrowed this book
from me because
she could not find
one that seemed
interesting to her to
start reading. She
struggled reading
aloud to day with
decoding. The
Eduardo has asked
several times if he
could take home a
copy of Cyrano so
he could read it
himself. He has
already finished
reading The Curse
of Egypt but he has
not blogged
recently. PC SPI
He is always active
in the lit. circle. He
also asked if he
could check out
another book to
read since he has
already finished
the last one.
Tiffany read aloud
today but she had
trouble following
the dialogue
bubbles. She
needed my help
with some of the
words also. She
was the gist expert
and did a good job
telling the group
what the main idea
is. It amazes me
how well her
Emory
3/24
Emory said he
keeps forgetting to
fill out his GN
reading log, but
that he reads at
home. He helps the
group during the
lit. circle by
helping them to
make accurate
predictions and
make connections
with the text to the
real world. PC CN
SPC Emory
blogged and said “I
do not get the
whole play thing,
but am enjoying it
anyways.” PC SPC
Eduardo checked
out another book
and is reading a
Manga book. He
has completed 6
GN reading log
entries up to this
point. SPI
3/29
Emory said that he
enjoys Cyrano but
that it is not one of
his favorite books
that he has read.
He said he has
finished Tall Tales.
He turned in a total
of 5 GN logs.
She started reading
The Clique today,
which was
recommended by
Sierra. She bought
this book at the
book fair. PC SPC
She has blogged
several times and
she does this at
home. SPI
Tiffany started
reading Diary of a
Wimpy Kid and she
stated that she
liked this book the
best out of all of
the GN she had
read so far. She
said it was easier to
follow than the
other GN novels
that we had read
and she stated that
Cyrano was kind of
Eduardo said he
enjoyed reading
Cyrano and says he
cannot wait until
spring break so he
can read more of
the Manga books.
PC
18
words may be too
hard for her. She
kept on asking if
she could read out
loud. SPI SPC
listening comp is
when she struggles
so much with
decoding. PC SPI
SPC
Austin has made
several responses
to the other
students about their
GN novels and the
GN we are reading
together. He states
that he has
completed several
GN reading logs.
Austin is reading
Tales from the
Crypt and states
that he enjoys
reading this series
of books. He has
followed along and
paid very close
attention
throughout the lit.
circle group.
Sierra finished
reading Rose and
now she is reading
The Clique which
she bought from
the book fair. She
says this is her
favorite book so
far. She shows a lot
of excitement in
reading her GN.
Austin
Austin stated the only times
he enjoys reading is when he
gets to read a GN but his
teachers would prefer him to
read something other than
“picture books”. PC SPI CN
He made an accurate
prediction about the story.
Austin asked if he
could read aloud
today and was very
enthusiastic about
reading. He has
made several posts
to the blog and to
his classmates. His
response to one
was “same here
sister”. PC SPI
SPC I have had to
remind them that
they are to give
feedback and not
treat it as facebook.
Sierra
Sierra stated that she is
unaware of what GN are, but
she loves to read all kinds of
books. PC SPC SPI
Sierra began
reading Rose today
and she says she
really likes it. She
has filled out her
GN reading log.
CN PC SPI
Austin blogged by
telling the other
students they
should read Tales
from the Crypt
because it was very
good! PC SPI SPC
Sierra said on her
blog, “Rose is cool
and it is about a
man and a
dinosaur.” She
thinks The Clique
is much better
because she can
relate to it more
than Rose. PC SPI
difficult to read
and understand.
SPI SPC She said
she will read more
of the Diary of a
Wimpy Kid books.
She asked if they
had them in the
school library. PC
Tiffany has turned
in 5 GN logs. SPI
Austin says he will
continue reading
all of the GN that
he can find and he
enjoyed learning
more about them
even though he had
read “too many to
count”. Austin
turned in a total of
6 GN reading logs.
She says she
believes are make
believe and are just
for fun, but she
said they are cool.
PC SPC SPI Sierra
turned in a total of
10 GN reading
logs.
Teacher Interview
Another piece of data that was collected was from the teachers that work with the
students in our research study. We interviewed the teachers and asked them several
different questions pertaining to how their students read and how the students feel about
reading. Once we gathered the information we discussed the results together to form a
collective chart with the questions teachers were asked and the answers. (Table 8)
Questions Asked:
What do you see as your students’
weaknesses in reading?
What do you see as your students’
strengths in reading?
What strategies have you used to
increase student comprehension?
Do your students do home reading?
Teacher Answers:
Decoding ability and fluency which affects
comprehension
Listening comprehension skills
Book talks, DRTA, Marzano strategies to
build vocabulary
Are required to, but not all of them do it
19
Do your students choose to read in their
free time?
Do your students choose books on their
instructional level?
Do they choose a variety of books or the
same type of books?
What do your students say about
reading?
How do you keep students motivated
with the different level of abilities in
class?
How do you differentiate for different
reading levels?
Some (the students who read at or above
grade level)
Some (the students who read at or above
grade level); others choose books that are
too hard for them for fear of being made
fun of their reading material
Most of them always choose the same type
of books; if a student reads Harry Potter
books then that student will always have a
Harry Potter book in their hand
That it is a chore instead of something fun
Partner read, literature groups
Try to provide reading material on the
students’ instructional levels; can be very
difficult
What Do the Results Say?
After conducting the Garfield Attitude Surveys, it was determined that over the course of
the study 9 out of 10 of our participants increased their attitudes toward reading. Only
one student had decreased their attitude toward reading. Many factors could have
contributed to the particular student’s decrease. One of which could be the
environmental struggles that seemed to be going on over the four weeks with his family.
It could also be determined that the increase in scores from the attitude surveys could
have been because the students wanted to please their teachers, even though they were
told to be very honest with their answers. However, it could also be proven that graphic
novels were something of interest to the students and once they started reading one, they
became intrigued, and wanted to learn more about them.
Another observation from the test results of both the pre and post attitude surveys is that
the recreational score increased from the pretest to the post test. This explains that after
being a part of the research study, many of the students found that over the course of the
4 weeks, reading can actually be fun and entertaining instead of a chore. Most of the
students had positive things to say about reading graphic novels, which correlates to the
increase in recreational reading scores from the Garfield Attitude Survey.
In comparison to the pretest and posttest on comprehension, all of the students showed an
increase in their comprehension skills by a measure of at least 10%. It has been
determined that this could be the direct result of a literature circle or book talk with each
member of the group having an active role. During the literature discussion students
were asked to think about the elements of fiction such as plot, characters, and setting, and
then to synthesize what would happen next by making connections with the text to the
real world. When reading independently, students would not have the opportunity to
20
collaborate with their peers and discuss the important aspects of the story. This shows
how beneficial a literature group can be within a Language Arts classroom.
With that said, even though the students showed an increase in their comprehension skills
when comparing the pre-assessment to the post-assessment, all of the students have solid
listening comprehension skills which help them in class discussions. The level of
understanding for the students did increase but not a significant amount. Students still
made accurate predictions as they normally would and followed along with the text as
they normally would.
It is safe to say that when students participate in literature circles on a desirable subject
matter, students will have a higher chance of increasing comprehension test scores. The
student’s increase in comprehension scores could have been impacted by the focus of the
Literature Circles - elements of fiction and discussions on how the graphics impacted the
literature.
Students also showed an increase in their feelings toward graphic novels. Many students,
especially the 7th grade boys, were already aware of what graphic novels were and they
enjoyed them. However, over time, more of the students saw graphic novels as
something they “could not take their hands off of”.
There was not enough time to show that independent reading practices increased when
given the opportunity to read a new genre. Some students still struggled in completing
their home reading logs, but several of them did increase. This could be due to the fact
that they knew they would be discussing what they were reading at home with us, and we
would be holding them accountable. Students also utilized the internet blogging and
many of them seemed to enjoy this much better than writing their entries on paper. The
length of this study was not long enough to impact student independent reading practices.
Those who usually read, read the graphic novels. Those who don’t read, did not.
Overall, there was no significant change in the independent reading practices for both the
5th and 7th grade groups. Student reading levels did not play a factor in reading interest,
because the higher level readers were still not motivated in completing reading logs.
However, this did not prove that the students were not motivated in reading, instead, just
not completing homework.
Reading graphic novels created a curiosity in a new genre of literature which renewed
some interest in reading. Any time struggling students show an interest in reading, it is
worth building on.
For Future Research
Including Graphic Novels as a genre to study in class can keep students interested in
topics relevant to their age. Graphic Novels can be beneficial for students who read
below, at, or even above grade level. Graphic Novels will keep students with different
reading abilities motivated in reading.
21
Offering Graphic Novels for independent reading can provide the struggling reader an
alternative to full text material. Students who struggle with reading can use the visuals to
predict what the text says and what will happen next. This will assist them in learning
novel vocabulary words, but will also help with decoding and fluency skills as well.
As EC teachers, we can advocate for the application of graphic novels for our students.
Many students with Learning Disabilities need the extra assistance that can be provided
with graphic novels. Students can use the pictures to learn about a specific content.
Graphic Novels should be looked at as a way of using the graphics and illustrations to
teach content subjects for struggling readers. It is a great modification for both special
and general education students.
22
Literature Circle
The students will read the book together in their group, taking turns or reading in pairs.
Before, during and after reading the students will take place in book talk in a “Literature
Circle.” Preview the book before reading making predictions about what they think the
book will be about and what the characters will be like? Also, discuss elements of fiction.
The first novel was selected and agreed upon by the students after they previewed several
different graphic novels from a selection of ten books. The activities during and after
reading will be led by the different roles in the group. The roles will need to be explained
to the students before the Literature Circle begins. These are adapted from several
different collaborative strategies (Schwertner and Birsh).
The “Discussion Leader” will lead the group. The “Picture Reader” will use the guide to
draw a few graphics and explain what the picture is telling the reader. The “Travel
Tracker” will track the setting of the story and keep up with where the characters were
during the section read. The “Gist Expert” works with the group to decide on the best gist
(main idea) of the selection. The “Predictor” will predict what will happen next in the
story. The “Connector” helps the group make connections between reader and the text.
The students will be given role sheets to help them with their roles. The roles will change
during the duration of the book. After they have completed the group session, they will
respond in their blog journal.
23
Discussion Leader
Instructions: Start by asking the group members about a part of the story
that excites them. Explain why this part is (was) so exciting or interesting.
Make sure you comment on each others’ responses. Don’t let the discussion
die! Keep it moving.
Discussion starters:
Finish the Statement:
1. What did you think when....
2. How did you feel when....
3. Did you understand what was going on when....
4. A part I really liked was….
What do you think about that part?
5. A part I didn’t like so much was….
What do you think about that part?
24
Picture Reader
Instructions: In graphic novels, the pictures tell the story, too. Below, draw
a few “slides” and explain what the picture is telling the readers.
25
Gist Expert
Instructions: Good readers are able to read a story and pick out the one
main idea or the “gist” of the story (what it is mainly about). They can also
support the main idea with details. Your mission is to identify the main idea
and supporting details.
Main Idea:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Detail:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Detail:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Detail:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
26
Travel Tracker
Instructions: As the plot of the story moves, so do the characters. As travel
tracker, you are tracking the setting of the story. That means you keep up
with where the characters were during the reading.
Location 1
When:
_____________________________________________________________
Where:
____________________________________________________________
Location 2
When:
_____________________________________________________________
Where:
____________________________________________________________
Location 3
When:
_____________________________________________________________
Where:
____________________________________________________________
Location 4
When:
_____________________________________________________________
Where:
____________________________________________________________
27
Predictor
Instructions: Write your prediction for what will happen next in the story.
Then write the clues that helped you draw that conclusion.
Prediction:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Clues:
1. ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
4. ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
28
Connector
Instructions: Good readers make connections as they read. There are three
types of connections:
Text to text: a connection between the book you are reading and another
book (or story)….plot, characters, author, etc.
Text to self: connection between the reader and the story (‘this reminds me
of the time I ….” or “this character is a lot like me…”).
Text to world: a connection between the reader and the rest of the world
(“this reminds me of something I heard…”).
****As you read make three connections****
Text to Text
1.
2.
Text to Self
1.
2.
Text to World
1.
2.
29
References
Ambe, Elizabeth BiFuh. (2007). Inviting reluctant adolescent readers into the
literacy club: some comprehension strategies to tutor individuals or small groups of
reluctant readers. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(8), 632-639.
Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/3dgnz9x
Edwards, Buffy. (2009). Motivating middle school readers: The graphic novel link.
School Library Media Activities Monthly, Vol. 25(8), 56-58. Retrieved from
http://tinyurl.com/3ov35c4
Griffith, Paul. (2010). Graphic novels in the secondary classroom and school libraries.
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Vol. 54(3), 181-189. Retrieved from
http://tinyurl.com/3eetwsq
Smetana, Linda. (2010). Graphic novel gurus: Students with learning disabilities
enjoying real literature. California Reader, Vol. 44(1), 3-4. Retrieved from
http://tinyurl.com/3d4scmx
Schwarz, Gretchen E. (2002). Graphic Novels for Multiple Literacies. Journal of
Adolescent & Adult Literacy, Vol. 46(3), 262. Retrieved from
http://tinyurl.com/43ywoa8
Seyfried, Jonathan. (2008). Graphic novels as education heavyweights. Knowledge Quest,
Vol. 36(3), 44-48. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/6zo3fxg
Snowball, Clare. (2005) Teenage reluctant readers and graphic novels. Young Adult
Library Services, Summer 2005, Vol. 3(4), 43-45. Retrieved from
http://tinyurl.com/3wcdc46