Smashing motivational barriers to reading and learning - Q&A with Dekko Comics

September 21st 2020

Dekko Comics are educational comics that turn KS2 school curriculum content into engaging comic strips, smashing motivational barriers to reading and learning. Rossie Stone, creator and founder, tells us more. 

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about your own experiences as a dyslexic reader growing up, and what inspired you to launch Dekko Comics?

Growing up with dyslexia, I struggled with reading and learning from the age of six. I did have teachers that were encouraging, and so were my parents, which was really valuable. But the traditional ways of teaching and learning in school didn’t seem to work for me. When I was sitting my GCSEs I decided to take matters into my own hands, and I started drawing comic strips to help myself learn and remember. It made everything easier, and more fun too! This was my first foray into comics, aged 16, and it grew from there.

Q: Dekko Comics were piloted in schools after launching in 2016, and were even featured on BBC News. What was the outcome of the pilot scheme?

Dekko Comics began as a Kickstarter project with five test comics, and has gone on from there. The early comics were tested in six Scottish schools, and these schools concluded that the comics were clear, engaging and memorable educational resources.

Q: Dekko Comics are designed to offer support to children with dyslexia. What are the features that make the comics dyslexia-friendly?

Dekko Comics teach spelling and concepts through stories and images, whether it’s teaching symmetry through a battle between two robots, or an entrepreneurial young boy swindling others through his knowledge of statistics. The focus is on fun before education – which ironically makes the education more effective, and the complex rules or spellings more memorable.

There are a number of dyslexia-friendly features. For example, we use a dyslexic-friendly font, to make it easier for children who struggle with standardised text. The comic format also means text is broken down into speech bubbles, and this avoids any overwhelming blocks of text.

In addition, for some comics we use coloured speech bubbles, as it makes text easier to read than black text on a white background, and key words and phrases are highlighted in the footer of each page.

Q: The comics also support children with autism. Can you share some examples to explain how Dekko is beneficial to autism reading and learning?

Children with autism tend to respond better to clear sensory material (visuals, colour, characters and storytelling) rather than words. There is a real focus on character throughout the comics – the characters’ expressions and postures are naturally exaggerated, making their emotions easier for an autistic child to engage with. Humour is also key; the comics are written to be funny, which makes reading a positive experience and encourages children to relax.

Q: What curriculum coverage do Dekko Comics offer?

Dekko Comics turn curriculum content into comic strips! They cover topics relevant to the KS2 curriculum, so they’re suitable for pupils from ages 7-12. There is support for KS2 Reading, KS2 Spelling and KS2 Grammar. The comics are presented in such a way that the majority of topics will be relevant to other curriculums too, (both in and out of the UK), but the KS2 curriculum is their focus.

The comics also support with maths topics, from algebra to arithmetic to long division and times tables.

Q: You also run workshops for schools – what advice would you give to teachers who are seeking to create the ideal learning environment for pupils with dyslexia?

Encourage your pupils to tackle the tasks you set in a way that they enjoy, and a way that suits them. Let them know that they have the freedom to do this, and to explore, and that they won’t get into trouble! It’s fascinating to watch children learn in ways that you might not have expected.

Q: What do schools say about Dekko Comics?

"What a treat they have been in my classroom! I have a Primary 6/7 class, one boy who is autistic, he adores them... and he spent a whole hour reading through a whole comic and then designing his own surrounding things he has learned in school! I’d just like to say thanks!"

- Teacher, Raigmore Primary School, Inverness

“I am a secondary school Support for Learning leader (SENCO) and I absolutely LOVE these. Rossie produces colourful, fun, engaging comics on such a huge variety of topics. They are a brilliant addition to school and home revision resources.”

— Learning Support Leader who uses Dekko Comics

“The feedback from the children has been completely positive and they seem to have appealed to all kinds of people... readers looking for humour are giggling but also coming to tell me what they’ve learned; and non-fiction fans absolutely love them wholesale.”

— Library Manager, Ashleigh Primary, Lancashire

“I enjoyed it a lot and it was really funny. I would definitely do my work this way. It was really easy because it was enjoyable and when it is enjoyable it is easy for me. I know more of the subjects after reading the comics.”

— Dekko Comics reader, Age 9

Find out more about Dekko Comics

There are currently 12 issues of Dekko Comics accessible online for free until the end of September 2020. Read Dekko Comics online