How to Use Comic Books to Make Learning Fun
Stacey Giulianti owns Lauderdale comics in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. As a comic book lover and avid reader, he believes that comic books can help kids-and adults- learn to love learning and reading.
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It’s an autism friendly store, where people are trained in working with people on the spectrum; they also employ people who are on the spectrum. It is a place to sit, hang out and read, play old-fashioned video games.
They cater to people from different walks of life. They hold art classes for adults and children as well.
They wanted to create a different atmosphere for a comic book store.
Comic Books can be Educational
In order to survive in the system with so many comic book producers, the storylines and the art has gotten so competitive, the quality has really amped up.
The kinds of items are very inclusive.
For example, instead of Iron Man, there is Iron Heart: a teenage African American boy.
You want kids and adults to read, and what better way than when you have great artwork that tells stories.
The New Comic Books are Different
1. Comic Books Are Inclusive- They include people from all walks of life, who look different and act different. Different color and different nationalities.
2. They aren’t just superhero stories- 50-60% are not superhero stories.
Most of what they sell are graphic novels. Maus is the first graphic novel to win the Nobel prize. It’s a story about the Holocaust.
It’s a memoir told in pictures and story form. It teaches in a different way. It’s a great way to tell the story.
3. Different Perspectives-For example, there is a book called Rebels that takes place before the Revolutionary war.
It shows the perspective from a young married couple, the perspective of what it was really like, to be in the war as a young person.
It’s not just these large scale stories, but things that take small stories and gives that storyline that you won’t find just reading a history. It brings people into that type of world.
Comic Books Can Teach
When you read a new word, there is a picture to go with it. That can help teach new vocabulary while kids read. It teaches this fasters and in a more interesting way.
Graphic Novels can help kids to understand things they wouldn’t otherwise, or to enjoy classics that they wouldn’t otherwise.
Allow Kids to Read Comic Books
Ask for help in a comic store. There are books and graphic novels that can help children learn a variety of subjects.
You will see your kids learn to love to read.
For more information and resources, visit Lauderdalecomics.com
