Reading: Pleasure Versus Message
A Classroom Experience
In his article, Graphic Novels in the Classroom, Yang makes his case for using such books. The article, written entirely in graphics, is as witty as it is thought provoking. As I stumbled upon my student reading his book and later that article, I realized graphic novels have a place. They are not merely just a "pleasure experience," meaning can materialize itself as well. First of all, they provide high interest. Secondly, students are drawn to the visual proportion of these texts. Yang writes ". . . graphic novels are visual, and our students love visual media (pg. 187). The students make meaning with these novels which is a standard involved in reading comprehension.
In the book, Through the Eyes of a Child, Norton writes "Children are the ultimate critics of what they read, and you should consider their preferences when evaluating and selecting books to share with them" (pg. 100). Children read for pleasure (and because an adult tells them to). As they choose their books they think about what will be interesting and pleasurable. They also look at what their peers are reading and choose that too. We have such a media explosion that children also read what they see advertised. Educators sometimes aren't sure about the qualities of all the books that children read (Norton, pg. 100). The question is: Do we really want a student spending their educational time reading what we used to call comic books?
The goal is for us to help to bring students to a place where they are able to evaluate books they read, through their genre, author's purpose, and all the other literary elements in tow. That is what we teach. We hope they are able to find it in the books they choose. I can see where we have to be cautious in the classroom. Equally, I can see that using the aforementioned novels provides teachable moments, a connection with students, and a learning experience for all. Sometimes pleasure trumps the message when students choose books to read. In as much, the message sometimes trumps pleasure as teachers try to teach the elements necessary for comprehension.
From my point of view, it all balances out in the end.
References:
Norton, D. E. & Norton, S. E. (2007). Through the eyes of a child: An introduction to
children's literature. (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Yang, Gene. (2008).Graphic novels in the classroom. Language Arts, 85(3), 185-192.
Published by Lizzie Lin
I am an academic professional currently seeking my masters in my professional field of reading education. Most of my writing has been professional, more recently I began a journey with creative writing. View profile
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