UT Tyler professor says comic books could be the key to closing reading gaps

Texas (KLTV) – As students across East Texas continue working to rebound from pandemic-era learning loss, one local educator says the secret to closing the reading gap might be found inside <a href="https://comicvibe.com/things-to-do-comic-books-concerts-model-trains-and-fall-festivals/" title="Things to do: Comic Books, concerts, model trains and fall festivals”>comic books

Dr. Gina Doepker, a professor of literacy education at the University of Texas at Tyler, believes graphic storytelling could be an unexpected solution to helping struggling students catch up.

“If we can get students hooked on books like comics, then that is going to increase their motivation, their engagement, their skills like fluency and comprehension,” Doepker said.

According to Texas Education Agency STAAR data, roughly 45% to 52% of third graders in East Texas read at or above grade level. That leaves nearly half behind the critical benchmark where students transition from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”

Doepker says the disruption from the pandemic widened those reading gaps significantly.

“I think one of the big problems, COVID, that is definitely increased the struggles that students have with reading,” Doepker said. “We need to rebound. Since we are back in schools, we need to find ways to get these students progressing in their reading levels.”

In a world where children grow up surrounded by smartphones and tablets, Doepker says today’s students are naturally becoming visual learners. Because of that, leaning into visual literacy through comic books and graphic novels makes practical sense.

The format helps eliminate the intimidation factor often felt when opening a text-heavy page. Whether it is fiction favorites like Marvel’s Spider-Man, Captain America, and stories about dinosaurs, or non-fiction titles explaining the U.S. Constitution, comics meet children right where their interests are.

The demand among young readers is already evident. A study by Libraries Connected found nearly 80% of libraries identified children ages 6 to 11 as their most frequent comic book borrowers.

Beyond improving reading skills, Doepker notes that creating comics in the classroom also sharpens student writing, dialogue, and overall language development.

“That’s what we need to increase, is the joy in reading and looking through these books,” Doepker said. “I’m hoping that comic books really spike students’ desire to be readers and builds their motivation for picking up these comic books and reading.”

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