Meet the comics that are making literacy and learning more accessible for children

When a child struggles with reading or learning at school, it's very hard for the parents to deal with. You want the best for your child. You want their education to be fun, stimulating and appealing to them. You find yourself asking the question “How can I help my child’s reading?”, or “What can I do about my child being bored at school?”. And you’re witnessing your child falling behind their peers. Your concern is understandable. So, if you’ve found yourself having these thoughts and worries, we’re here to help.

How Can Learning Be Made Fun for My Child?

Helping a child’s formal learning through fun, engaging comic books probably sounds counter-intuitive. “Comics to teach a child maths?!” is an understandable question! But at Dekko, we’ve created a way to use entertainment and humour to make school lessons easier for a child to remember.

“Fantastic! So visual and appeals to all styles of learning, especially visual learners.”

— Primary School Teacher, Glasgow

We launched our school-curriculum comics in September 2016. We’re proud to say that, since then, over 50 schools in the UK have used them, along with the thousands of parents who’ve purchased copies. And it’s not only children in the UK who’re benefiting from Dekko’s comics. Kids in New Zealand, Australia, Finland and the USA are also enjoying our use of humour and fun images.

Dekko Comics: short comic narratives turning the school curriculum into naturally accessible entertainment.

Not All Children Enjoy Learning the “Traditional” Way

Whether your child needs general reading help, literacy support or KS3 Maths refreshers, our range of comics is going to make learning easier. We completely understand that your child will enjoy learning if they’re motivated. And entertainment more powerfully engages a child in learning than a wall of text in a book.

When your child is presented with that wall of text, it can be an overwhelming experience for them. They know that they need to break through that text to access the information they’re supposed to learn. But, ultimately, their interest in the information hasn’t been stimulated.

That’s why we’ve taken the “entertainment before education” approach in our comic series.

The comics cover all relevant school topics: Maths, English and Science. But subjects such as History, Geography, Languages (French and German) and PSHE are featured too.

Between the twelve available comic issues, they cover curriculum topics best suited for children aged between 9 to 12, (Key Stage 2, if you’re in England).

What Do Experts Say About Educational Comics for Children?

Dekko Comics is a young, passionate company. And we were thrilled to win awards for our work in helping children to learn, such as the Young EDGE Award in Scotland, while also being featured on BBC News, Understood.org (USA), STV Scotland, and BBC Radio Scotland.

We’ve also been recognised by experts for the effectiveness of our comic!

Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the University of Glasgow, Alex Benchimol, after reviewing them back in 2016 said that our comics (though aimed at a younger audience) were even worthy as refresher material for student-level studies: “…this is a very impressive set of learning tools that are presented in a visually exciting and humorous manner […] I think it would even benefit those in the final years of high school heading to university, if presented as a means to refresh understanding...”

Sir Ken Robinson, TED Talk icon and international education advisor, has tweeted about our comics, calling them “enjoyable and engaging for all ages and abilities.”

How Can I Help My Child With Dyslexia, Autism or ADHD Do Better at School?

The parents of children with dyslexia, autism and ADHD often have painful concerns about their child’s education. The children themselves will be frustrated, angry or disinterested at school. So, how can our comics play a part in opening up learning to them?

Our founder, Rossie Stone, firmly believes in tackling the stigma around learning difficulties in the classroom. And the sensory benefits of our comic book format make Dekko Comics particularly helpful to these children. The whole idea is to present the information to the child in a way that’s easier for them to access and keep. And, as a result, help them learn at a pace that is closer to their classmates.

“Year 5 trade them under the desks like contraband... 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.”

— School Library Manager, Lancashire

Dekko Comics are available to schools and parents. We’re convinced, and our awards and reviews back it up, that they will unlock the learning potential in your child. You can browse the range of comics here.

We’d love to hear from you. If you’re a parent worrying about your child’s education, or you’re a teacher who recognises how humour and entertainment will help your pupils grasp knowledge, get in touch with us. We’re happy to answer your questions and queries.