Knowing how to read something based on it’s context is a really important skill for early literacy but also for future skills, like digital literacy! Print awareness is a skill that lets kids recognize the difference between reading a recipe versus a picture book, but also practical things like reading from left to right and top to bottom on a page. The more types of reading kids are exposed to, the more their print awareness grows. This skill requires lots of different types of reading experiences, which is where your library comes in handy!
One underestimated tool for growing print awareness is graphic novels. These books challenge readers to use more visual cues, from font choices to colours to word placement (as well as deciphering facial expressions and gestures) to give context to the story. These are whole-brain reading experiences that can be really engaging for readers of any age.
See our Staff List: Get Started with Graphic Novels for Kids
Parents sometimes feel like graphic novels aren’t good-quality reading for their kids, but this genre presents a lot of options! There are compelling and emotional stories about big topics, as well as nonficiton adventures that teach detailed science. Being familiar with what’s available for kids can help you choose what’s right for your family. If you haven’t read a graphic novel in a while, you may be surprised at what’s available for adults, too!
See how graphic novels jump off the page to tell their stories:
Whether a font is ALL CAPS or serene, flowing lines changes how we read those words; we sense whether the character is speaking loudly and urgently, or calmly and slowly. The same is true for the colours used on a page: warm colours like red may tell us there’s passion in what’s being said, while cool colours evoke calm. Authors also use where words are placed on a page to indicate who is saying them, and in what order.