Reading Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone

Ioan has been desperate to watch a Harry Potter film for a long while. We always said that he had to read the book before watching the film. Despite being quite a confident reader, he is only six years old. Although I knew he’d probably be able to read the book sooner, I wanted him to be able to understand it too. With lots of extra time (and pleading from Ioan) in lockdown, I decided it was finally time.

Resources

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling

Starting the book

As always, before reading the book, he made some predictions. These were slightly more informed than normal, having heard bits from school friends who have watched the films.

Ioan loves finding or making characters from the stories he reads. He found some of our wooden figures to be Dumbledore and Professor McGonogall.

Predictions, after reading about ‘You-Know-Who’ for the first time.

Discovering about when Lily and James Potter were killed.

He was excited to read about Harry’ scar for the first time. Ioan loves piecing together information he’s seen on the front covers of the books.

He liked the idea of scars being useful.

Ioan made the link between ‘professor’ and teacher, being surprised that Dumbledore was a teacher. He predicted what he thought that might mean in the wizarding world. I loved the idea of them practising using their magic wands on a scarecrow.

Ioan wasn’t very impressed to hear that they put Harry under the stairs because he knew they wouldn’t treat Dudley that way. Being one of three boys, he has a very strong sense of right and wrong and treating people fairly.

Ioan felt sorry for Harry that he was so lonely, thinking that it was unfair that nobody wanted to play with him because they were scared of Dudley.

When Harry spotted the wax seal on the letters being delivered, Ioan recognised the description as being the picture on the first page of the book. He wondered if the coat of arms bearing the lion, badger, eagle and snake, might represent school houses and the ‘H’ in the middle might stand for Harry. He also thought Harry might like to be in the ‘snake house’ because he spoke to one at the zoo on Dudley’s birthday.

The middle of the book

I was very mean as I insisted in him only reading a page or two at a time, making sure that he had good understanding of what he was reading. Luckily Ioan loves making connections about what he’s read and finding out answers to the questions he may have about the story.

We bought the illustrated book for Ioan’s birthday and he gets really excited when he predicts something and turns a page to see his prediction come to life in an illustration.

It’s amazing how far we had to get before Harry even tried on the Sorting Hat. It was the start of December by now!

I always let Ioan read through without any interruptions, then we go back and check his comprehension afterwards. He also re-reads the new section in bed.

The end of the book

Harry had just done his detention in the Forbidden Forest and seen a cloaked figure drinking the unicorn’s blood. Ioan’s always very emotive about the books he reads, this book being no different, especially when he inferred that the character could be Voldemort.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had gone through the trap door that Fluffy was guarding, to try and find the Philosopher’s Stone before Snape. Ioan retold the story of them facing the first four challenges.

I questioned Ioan’s understanding just after discovering that Snape wasn’t the one trying to help Voldemort, it was Professor Quirrell.

Ioan was very excited to have finished the book and to retell me the end of the story.

With the book finished, he enjoyed re-enacting the story with his hand made Harry Potter peg dolls.

Then he made a golden snitch. I think this is just going to be the start of the Harry Potter themed crafts!

DfES Outcomes for EYFS and National Curriculum (2013)

English Year 1 programme of study

Reading – word reading

apply phonic knowledge and skills as the route to decode words
read aloud accurately books that are consistent with their developing phonic knowledge and that do not require them to use other strategies to work out words
re-read these books to build up their fluency and confidence in word reading.

Reading – comprehension

Pupils should develop pleasure in reading, motivation to read, vocabulary and understanding by:

listening to and discussing a wide range of stories and non-fiction at a level beyond that at which they can read independently
being encouraged to link what they read or hear read to their own experiences
discussing word meanings, linking new meanings to those already known

Understand both the books they can already read accurately and fluently and those they listen to by:

drawing on what they already know or on background information and vocabulary provided by the teacher
checking that the text makes sense to them as they read and correcting inaccurate reading
discussing the significance of the title and events
making inferences on the basis of what is being said and done
predicting what might happen on the basis of what has been read so far

English Year 2 programme of study