Reaching every reader in your ELA classroom can feel like a tall order. You might have some readers ready for chapter books, others who need extra support, and multilingual learners building English vocabulary all in one room. When I was teaching fifth grade, it was often hard to find high-interest, engaging texts that students were excited to read, and were at the correct level.
If you’ve ever considered using graphic novels in your classroom, there is a new pilot program you’ll want to check out. It includes a curriculum that supports teachers as they introduce graphic novels to their students.
Today on the blog, we’ll take a look at Dizzy Doom Kids. Whether you teach 3rd grade ELA or work with 7th graders in a summer learning program, this adaptable curriculum is perfect for educators who want to boost student engagement and support literacy development. They have a new pilot program you won’t want to miss!
Why Graphic Novels Belong in Your ELA Toolkit
Graphic novels have real instructional power. The visual context supports readers at all levels and the layered storytelling keeps students engaged while building their reading comprehension skills. One of the things I love about graphic novels is how students can jump into stories with visual cues that support them as readers. Graphic novels can strengthen their understanding of plot and character development. They show them the impact of dialogue and the setting of the story, and so much more.
Teachers with high IEP populations, multilingual learners, or a wide Lexile range of readers can use high-interest, highly engaging texts like graphic novels with their students. Are you curious about using graphic novels in your classroom? Dizzy Doom Kids has a new pilot program that supports teachers as they bring this format to their students.
Sign up for Dizzy Doom Kids’ new pilot program >>
Good news: the pilot is free for teachers who complete a short pre- and post-survey (about 5 minutes each). Spots are limited to the first 20 schools, and the pilot launches May 11th. Individual teachers can apply directly and no admin approval is needed.
Dizzy Doom Kids and Their Pilot Program
Dizzy Doom Kids is a paperback graphic novel-based ELA and SEL curriculum built on the Digital Lizards of Doom series. The graphic novel series is published by Papercutz (an imprint of Simon & Schuster). The Dizzy Doom Kids curriculum helps teachers bring the books into their classroom alongside their current SEL goals. The curriculum is backed by an independent efficacy study from Johns Hopkins University and is ready for teachers to use right away.
When you sign up for the pilot program, you’ll get access to the full Dizzy Doom Kids curriculum. You can read books from the Digital Lizards of Doom series with your students and use the curriculum right away.
How does it work? After you sign up, you’ll connect to DDK Classroom where the rosters and classes sync automatically. Then, you’ll drop DDK into your existing ELA workflows. Students can then log in and start reading.
The Dizzy Doom Kids curriculum is currently in use in classrooms at San Diego Unified School District and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Hawaii. So when you join the pilot, you are stepping into a curriculum that has already been tested with real students in real classrooms.
Apply now: the pilot launches May 11th and only the first 20 schools will be accepted >>
The Dizzy Doom Kids Curriculum
The Dizzy Doom Kids curriculum includes 16 structured lessons that follow a read, discuss, and create framework. Students read sections of the graphic novel together, dig into discussion questions, and then produce original writing. By the end of the 16 lessons, every student will build their own creative writing project from start to finish. The writing project can become part of your end-of-year or summer program celebrations as a way to wrap up the year.
Dizzy Doom Kids is teacher-friendly and includes online resources you can access to help you put the curriculum into action. The lesson guide, discussion prompts, writing assignments, and classroom kit all ship together. That means you can pick it up and start using it without any extra training or onboarding.
The curriculum is Common Core-aligned across third through fifth grades and adaptable to use with students through seventh grade. The program even integrates original orchestral music, which adds another sensory layer for students. Another standout design choice in the Digital Lizards of Doom books is that each character has a unique emoticon. This makes dialogue much easier for students to follow, especially readers who sometimes have trouble tracking who is speaking in a story.
What the Pilot Includes
- Cost: Free for pilot participants. Teachers just need to complete a quick pre- and post-survey (about 5–6 questions each, roughly 5 minutes) to help measure impact and improve the program.
- Launch date: May 11th
- Spots: Limited to the first 20 schools, accepted on a rolling basis
- Who can apply: Individual teachers can sign up directly. No admin approval required. The Dizzy Doom Kids team handles any school or district coordination on their end.
Who Should Consider the Pilot?
This pilot program is a strong fit if you teach third through seventh grade ELA, especially in a mixed-ability classroom. It works well at the start of the school year, after long breaks, or during summer learning programs. This might include Title I schools, after-school literacy initiatives, and any setting with persistent engagement challenges.
The pilot is also an excellent choice if you value discussion-based learning. Or if you want creative writing to be an outcome for student readers. Since each student leaves the program with a complete creative writing project, you have an artifact to share at the end of the unit. And because individual teachers can apply directly, you don’t need to wait on district sign-off to get started. Just submit your application before the 20 spots fill.
Ready to Bring Graphic Novels into Your Classroom?
If you have been looking for a way to use graphic novels in the classroom that goes beyond a one-time lesson, the Dizzy Doom Kids pilot program is worth exploring. The combination of structured lessons, an accessible format, and research backing makes it a strong choice for teachers who want a curriculum designed to reach every learner.
Want to learn more about the pilot and see if it is a fit for your classroom, school, or district? Head to this special landing page. Whether you are planning for the next school year, prepping a summer program, or simply looking for fresh ideas to re-engage your students, this Dizzy Doom Kids pilot is a wonderful opportunity. Right now, it’s free for pilot participants who complete a quick pre- and post-survey. With the pilot launching May 11th and just 20 school spots available, it’s worth applying soon.
