What are you doing when you study a wordless novel? You can't read it because there are no words; however, the process entails a lot of decoding and interpreting, especially when your "reading" novels like "Graphic Witness" (a composition of four stories drawn as woodcuts by four different artists). There is a lot of blank space that the viewer has to fill on his/her own, which requires an imagination, and critical thinking. Most people would agree that these skills are useful to (high school) students who will soon go out into the world on their own.
Aside from the educational experience, I think it is fun to "read" a wordless book. It can be frustrating at times because one has a difficult time figuring out the artist/author's intent of the story line, but don't we, as readers, usually twist the story line anyways to fit which ever lens we are viewing the novel with anyways? For example, if you are taking the Freudian approach to a novel, you have to really look in between the words to relate the story to the aspects of a Freudian reading. That's besides the point -- "reading" a wordless novel is a challenge, but a challenge that I enjoy. I wouldn't sit and look at one for leisure unless I were in a book club, or had a few friends in which to discuss the novel with because I think that's what really makes it: Discussing one's views on how to interpret the pictures and the spaces in between. It is also really cool if you are into art. There is a history behind the art of woodcuts, and they are nice to look at. I think wordless novels and graphic novels are becoming apart of our culture as far as books and art goes and everyone should at least try it out.
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