COMICS AND LITERACY: A DYNAMIC DUO. A REVIEW OF A LITERACY INTERVENTION USING COMICS WITH KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN IN THE UAE

Increasing motivation and positive attitudes to reading is fundamental to young children’s acquisition of a literate identity.

The purpose of this research is threefold:
(1) identify the impact of using comics in teaching and learning on young children’s development of a literate identity,
(2) identify the comic characteristics that enable young children to develop strong visual literacy skills, and
(3) discover if comics require specific pedagogies to be an effective intervention in promoting literacy in young children.

A review of the literature and analysis of two case studies conducted by final year graduating students using comics over a three week period as part of their action research work will be reported. Data was collected through video, audio, photographs, checklists, anecdotal records and observations. Reference is made to the technology tools in creating comics. A change in classroom teacher’s behaviours was observed from that of reticence or ambivalence to a welcoming embrace and emulation of using comics in their teaching. Children’s engagements with the reading centers in classrooms significantly increased. The study will uncover key characteristics of comics from the literature and the case studies to enable their adoption as an interventionist strategy and promote literacy skill development in young children.