Using Graphic Novels to Engage Students With Learning Disabilities During Fluency Instruction

Strong oral reading fluency skills are an important indication of good reading. In addition, reading engagement is often correlated with reading success. Unfortunately, students with learning disabilities (LD) often struggle to read fluently and engage with text. Incorporating graphic novels as part of a comprehensive reading program may help support student engagement with text during reading fluency instruction. This article outlines how teachers can use graphic novels as part of a comprehensive reading program to help engage students with LD in reading during fluency instruction. A brief summary of the literature surrounding comprehensive fluency instruction and the use of graphic novels is provided. In addition, a scenario is provided to illustrate guidelines for fluency planning and instruction using graphic novels. Finally, conclusions are summarized.