Traditional vocabulary instruction, like memorising word lists, can be overwhelming for students with dyslexia. Comics provide an engaging alternative by combining visual storytelling and contextual learning to support vocabulary development.

In this post, I’ll explore how comics enhance retention, boost engagement, and make learning more accessible for dyslexic students. I’ll also share practical strategies and recommend comic types for vocabulary lessons.

Why Use Comics for Vocabulary Learning

Budiman, Sada and Wardah (2018) note that “The relevance between the captions and the pictures in the comic strips creates understandable text. It means the comic strips can help the students to understand the text.” They cover the importance of comics serving as visual aids for vocabulary understanding, especially for new words students need to learn.

1. Visual Context Enhances Understanding

Comics make vocabulary learning more effective by pairing words with strong visual cues, helping students grasp meanings without relying solely on text. This is especially beneficial for students with dyslexia, as images provide contextual support that reduces decoding difficulties and improves retention.

For example, in a comic, the word “gigantic” can be illustrated by showing a tiny character standing beside a towering skyscraper, looking up in awe and saying, “Wow! This building is gigantic!” The exaggerated size difference reinforces the meaning of the word, making it easier to understand and remember.

Another example is through conversations, focusing on the word ‘exhausted’.

Here, the word ‘exhausted’ is naturally embedded in dialogue, alongside visual cues like body language and facial expressions. This makes it easier for learners to understand its meaning through context,  tone, and appropriate usage in real-life situations.

2. Increased Engagement

Many struggling readers find long passages intimidating. Comics, with their short and visually engaging format, help reduce reading anxiety and make vocabulary learning feel more like an enjoyable activity rather than a chore. The humour and action in comic strips also make learning more appealing to students.

Take a look at the paragraph below. 

“Plagued by sharp hunger pangs, I began foraging the coast in the heavy downpour.  I learned from my time on the ship that shellfish were edible, and among the rocks of the island, I found a multitude of limpets.  I devoured them as I found them, cold and raw.  Given my current condition, they tasted delicious, at first.”

Now, take a look at the comic adaptation of the same scene.

Here, comics make storytelling more immersive by combining text with visual context. Instead of just reading a description, speech and thought bubbles guide students, while the images bring the scene to life. This approach makes the story more engaging and easier to understand, especially for visual learners.

3. Improved Retention

Learning new words through comics helps learners remember them better because it engages multiple senses and makes learning fun. The pictures in comics act as memory triggers, making it easier for learners to recall words when they see them again. Instead of just reading a definition, learners see words in action, which helps them understand and remember their meaning. Comics also use short, simple text, which makes reading less overwhelming, especially for children with dyslexia. Because comics combine visuals, storytelling, and emotions, they create a stronger connection to new words, making them stick in long-term memory.

For example, in introducing the word “collide,” a comic shows two boys about to crash on a slide, making the meaning clear and memorable. The boys’ surprised expressions add an emotional connection, reinforcing learning.

The comic is intentionally designed to help with spelling and pronunciation. Since “collide” and “slide” share the “-lide” ending, children can link the new word to a familiar one, making it easier to remember and spell.

How to Use Comics for Vocabulary Instruction

Using comics effectively requires strategic planning to maximize vocabulary learning. Teachers can integrate them into lessons in three stages: before, during, and after the lesson.

1. Presentation Stage: Introducing New Vocabulary

Teachers can use comic strips to help students predict word meanings through visual context, activating prior knowledge and increasing engagement. In this activity, students analyze a comic with a missing word, using clues from images and dialogue to infer its meaning. They discuss the character’s emotions, possible word choices, and how visuals support understanding. After making predictions, the correct word “perplexing” is revealed, followed by a discussion on its meaning with examples.

2. Practice Stage: Learning Words in Context

At the practice stage, teachers can engage students in annotating the comic strip for vocabulary learning. Students first underline or highlight key words in the dialogue, such as the target word “perplexing”. They then draw arrows linking the words to clues in the image, such as facial expressions and body language, reinforcing word meaning through visual context.

3. Production Stage:  Reinforcing Learning Through Creation

After engaging with new vocabulary in comics, students can apply their knowledge by creating their own comic strips. This encourages deeper processing and long-term retention.

a. Create a Comic

Students use new vocabulary words to write their own short comic stories, helping them internalize the words in a meaningful way. Using digital tools like Canva, Pixton, or Storyboard That, they can design characters, dialogues, and settings that incorporate the target vocabulary.

b. Retell a Comic Story

Students summarise an existing comic using the key vocabulary words in their own words. This activity reinforces comprehension and encourages students to write original sentences with new words.

“Jake struggled to complete the jigsaw puzzle. He turned the pieces in all directions, but nothing matched. Feeling frustrated, he threw his hands up and groaned, “Argh! I don’t get it! This puzzle is so perplexing!

Using comics in vocabulary instruction makes learning more engaging, accessible, and memorable for students with dyslexia. By integrating visuals, context, and interactive activities, students better understand and retain new words while enjoying the learning process.

Article written by:
Juzailah Amin 
RETA Fellow
Lead Educational Therapist
Curriculum Developer