6 Ways Reading Comics Makes You Smarter

Comic book readers are made to create meaning from the text using “multiple modalities”. This means that all of the components of a comic book are integrated in order to form one solid understanding of the story. The text, space, and images all make up these modalities that the reader will incorporate. Comic books require a more complex neurological process. Critics will say that comic books are as simple as picture books, but they are much more than that.

A study done by Cunningham and Stanovich uncovered that the language used in comic book often times exceeds that of oral communication of college graduates. The idea that comic books are only for those who have a lower reading level is completely false, and conversely, comic books can actually help those who do have a lower reading level to practice with material that will actually interest them.

Those who read comic books are sometimes scrutinized for being nerds, but the truth is that this is nothing to be ashamed of. Comics encompass both fact and fiction to share stories of extraordinary heroes as well as true events that are easy to digest, even for those who may be struggling to read or comprehend certain types of material.

Happy reading!