Reading Comic Books Is An Interesting Way for Children To Build Their Vocabulary

Can my child build his vocabulary by reading comic books? You bet! Not only does he enjoy reading them, he is learning new words while doing so...what more could you ask?

When someone thinks of comic books, they probably don't take into account the cache of words that are displayed on each page. Most people think comic books are for kids and a waste of time for adults. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I have been a comic book fan since I was a child. Many of the words I've learned through the years were the direct result of reading comic books. When I was young and had comic books to read, I had the dictionary with me. My copious vocabulary is, in part, due to reading comic books.

How can someone expect to decipher what is being revealed when you can't understand words and their usage? The same is applicable with regular books, but comic books are shorter in length so the words being used have to be chosen carefully. The square that the characters are contained in can only have so much dialogue. The selected words have to be descriptive, yet alluring to make the reader remain interested.

To augment your child's vocabulary or even your own for that matter comic books are a great place to start. I vividly remember not knowing a particular word. I could not translate the meaning from the context of the sentence. A dictionary proved invaluable.

Learning new words from comic books entails very little work. You must have and know how to use a dictionary and thesaurus, and you have to have the desire to find out what the words mean. The accumulation of words through reading of comic books can help in tests for school. The vocabulary section of some of the levels of educational requirements would elevate the national average, if everyone who read comic books did the required look-up of words they did not know. Some would view that as a grandiose statement, even an ignorant and ludicrous proclamation. If a person has an insatiable curiosity and an eagerness to learn, comic books are a great format to get started.

Children aside, a great deal of adults read comic books. From white collared to the blue collared, age and work statuses are irrelevant. When I go to a comic book store I often see men wearing ties and people wearing tee shirts. In addition, I often hear conversations on what new things are happening in the comic book world. It takes a life of its own when you stand there and listen in on other people's discourse. The exchange may help you understand where a mini series is headed or what happened to a certain villain or superhero. If you're not sure of something, the clerk usually is more than knowledgeable in that genre. I have asked several questions on a particular superhero. One of the clerks knew nothing about the character I asked about. The other clerk was well versed and helped explain what I was not understanding.

In the final analysis one can find enjoyment reading comic books. Children and adults alike can learn new words from reading comic books. If you happen to have a large vocabulary, then you can still benefit from reading comic books. It would take you a shorter amount of time to read them and still learn in the process. I have learned words from reading comic books and I believe that anyone can if they have the yearning to take the little extra time it requires.

For more articles of similar interest click these links:
Comic books from around the world and how they differ.
Tips when reading with your child
Strategies to use to help a child learning to read

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