Would you consider Harry Potter....

[Halcyon]

.....to be "fun" reading or "school" reading, if the reader in question is a just 8 year old boy who finds the book challenging but enjoyable? My son normally has his "fun" books and his "assigned" reading (not that the assigned reading isn't usually fun LOL, but you KWIM). But he started Harry Potter two weeks ago, and because it's above his grade level I want to cal it "school reading" and not assign a separate book (we were going to read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or A Wrinkle in Time).

 

Thoughts?

[Hunter's Moon]

I think Harry Potter should be considered school reading because at 8, I doubt I could have understood most of it.

 

I started reading them at about 11 or 12.

 

Plus, lots of good vocabulary words.

 

A Wrinkle in Time is an interesting book, as well.

[PinkInTheBlue]

I would consider Harry Potter school reading.

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

My ds read them for fun (only 1-4 though, as he's young and I wanted to wait on the more serious themes I knew were coming). Because we're not in a reporting state, I don't have to distinguish between fun and school reading. As long as he is reading a nice variety of books for long periods every day, I call it good. Sometimes he gets engrossed in a history or science book from our book basket and sometimes it's Homer Price, Harry Potter, etc. I don't keep rubbish in the house (notwithstanding those who might think of HP as rubbish :tongue_smilie:) so as long as he's reading, does it matter?

 

To me, there are kind of two categories of books in our house, literature/storybooks and subject matter books. I would put HP in the lit/sb category and call it good...fun school.

[JudoMom]

I would call it fun reading, since he's reading it on his own. My second son read LOTR last year for fun--I could have robbed him of the joy of reading it if I had assigned it.

 

I use school reading to assign books that they might not pick up on their own.

[tinkgumby]

I'm in the same situation right now, and I'm considering it school reading. My son also has history assigned readers for Sonlight Core 3, but other than that I'm calling Harry Potter good, especially since it's a stretch beyond what he's used to reading! :001_smile:

[In The Great White North]

I called it fun too. Because our "assigned" reading is entirely related to whatever we're doing in history.

[angela in ohio]

I would call it fun reading, since he's reading it on his own. My second son read LOTR last year for fun--I could have robbed him of the joy of reading it if I had assigned it.

 

I use school reading to assign books that they might not pick up on their own.

 

:iagree:

 

My youngest is halfway through the LOTR series, but it is his free time reading. I don't assign a lot of fiction, whether classics or more light reading; I just make them available and encourage them to read, read, read.

[Daisy]

My ds read them for fun (only 1-4 though, as he's young and I wanted to wait on the more serious themes I knew were coming). Because we're not in a reporting state, I don't have to distinguish between fun and school reading. As long as he is reading a nice variety of books for long periods every day, I call it good. Sometimes he gets engrossed in a history or science book from our book basket and sometimes it's Homer Price, Harry Potter, etc. I don't keep rubbish in the house (notwithstanding those who might think of HP as rubbish :tongue_smilie:) so as long as he's reading, does it matter?

 

To me, there are kind of two categories of books in our house, literature/storybooks and subject matter books. I would put HP in the lit/sb category and call it good...fun school.

 

Ditto this. :iagree:

[Ester Maria]

It's a free time reading that I wouldn't / didn't count as schoolwork. It never even occurred me to.

[mo2]

Here's my thought: When I was in school (ps), we had "free reading" time about once a week or so, when we could read whatever book we wanted. If Harry Potter had been out then, I could have chosen that to read, and it would have counted as "school" because I was reading it at school.

 

So I say count it as schoolwork.

[silliness7]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was a book that I read for fun as a kid. I see a lot of books that I read just for fun that are now on school reading lists -Little House on the Prairie, Beverly Cleary, etc. Of course, when I was a kid we didn't read whole books in school. at.all. Not until the 7th grade. Before that we were just reading from the reading textbook. Blah!! (and I graduated from highschool in 1990, just to give some perspective)

 

So I vote yes for Harry Potter as elementary-aged school reading.

 

(I think I've already seen teacher guides out for it too.)

 

ETA: not that you have to USE the TG to count it as school reading. I don't tend to use those things for elementary age. I just have them make a notebook page with a picture and short summary.

Edited September 13, 2010 by silliness7

[Emmy]

My 8yo is reading Harry Potter right now (the first book) and it is his "fun reading" book. I guess it hadn't occurred to me to include it as school reading - the boys read after dinner for a while before bed and he chose it on his own. For school this year he's read James & the Giant Peach and Chronicles of Narnia. The difference between school reading and fun reading at our house is that I get to pick school reading, they are required to read from it 30 minutes a day, and I often ask about what they read and we discuss. Fun reading is their selection (within reason) and we may or may not chat about it (although we often do...my kids are talkers!).

[Dolphin]

OKay, what is LOTR. It is not on the abbreviations list.

[Ester Maria]

OKay, what is LOTR. It is not on the abbreviations list.

The Lord of the Rings

[Holly]

I would also count it as "free reading", but it would still go towards our school hours. I've picked out DD's "assigned" books for the year, but she's strongly encourage to spend a bit of daily free time with books she picks out.

[siloam]

We used it as fun reading. My dh read it to all of us, so it was fun for the whole family. :D

 

Heather

[mammaofbean]

fun reading. i require one hour of reading whatever dd wants a day, whether it is a school day or not. harry potter could be used for this.

[robsiew]

I would call it fun reading, since he's reading it on his own. My second son read LOTR last year for fun--I could have robbed him of the joy of reading it if I had assigned it.

 

I use school reading to assign books that they might not pick up on their own.

 

:iagree:This is what I do too.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I would consider Harry Potter fun reading. School reading here is narrated and/or discussed, and I get to pick the books.

[mom2boys030507]

I use school reading to assign books that they might not pick up on their own.

:iagree:

 

However, my son is also reading the Harry Potter books so I am not requiring as much other reading for "school". I assign history or science reading on a regular basis and then assign a fiction book on a semi-regular schedule. Currently, he reads for a minium of an hour a day, usually he ends up reading for two hours. I really try to look at everything my kids are doing and use school time to stretch them, if they are challenging themselves in reading then I don't have to:)

[Endorphins]

My six year old is reading the Harry Potter series and while I imagine it was a "fun choice" for him, I don't really make any distinction between "fun reading" and "school reading" since, for the most part, reading is reading in our house (workin' that brain!) and all of the books he has available to him are of a similar reading level. I guess "fun reading" for us would be the Lego magazine that comes in occasionally or a comic book or National Geographic (since they mostly still just check out the pictures instead of reading the articles), but anything that tests their reading comprehension I would categorize as "school reading."

[Julie of KY]

I think you could call it either. If my son picks up a "fun" book that I decide to allow as school reading, then I add some additional reading of science or history (not textbook) rather than additional literature.

[Gratia271]

Free reading.

[cat]

I would consider it "school" reading. I like to have my kids read one book at a time. When he finishes continue to the other two.

 

Reading is good for the mind and exercises it no matter if it is "fun" reading or "school" reading.

[DarcyB]

It's fun reading at our house. Hubby reads to the oldest almost every night, shooting to be finished with the last book by the time the movie opens in December.

 

School reading are classical pieces, pieces that go along with our history or literature that I feel is important for them to have read.

[choirfarm]

Ok, I must say I cannot believe all of you let your elementary children read this!!! I finally read this series this past August along with my 13 and 15yo boys. I made them wait, and boy am I glad they did!! I really did enjoy the books. It surprised me how much they did. And they are the perfect age for Harry trying to figure out who he is, struggling with anger, and with his feelings for girls. But there is NO WAY I will let my 8yo girl read this!!! I mean SO many people die, the killing curses, torture curses, not to mention all the boys and girls making out in the 6th book!! Betrayal, jealousy... Although I think it is quite appropriate for high schoolers, I just cannot imagine a 6yo reading it!!!! I just thing there are some dark places. I wanted to warn those who might think it is just a fun kids book the way people are describing it. AS I said, I love the books and I think they are appropriate for Christians to read. But each book gets darker and the last book reminded me of the WWI book we are reading right now. So many good characters in Harry Potter died!!!

 

Christine

[LauraGB]

School reading. There are so many ways you can branch out from these stories! Astronomy (Draco, Sirius, Bellatrix...), Latin (all of the spells), Mythology, word games, my goodness, the list goes on and on! If your child loves the story, capitalize on it; it just makes the story that much more intriguing!

[Crimson Wife]

I would consider Harry Potter fun reading. School reading here is narrated and/or discussed, and I get to pick the books.

 

:iagree:

Unless you're having him analyze it, I'd consider it "fun" reading.

 

If you want to make it a school reading assignment, my suggestion is to use the Deconstructing Penguins technique of literary analysis:

 

Who is the protagonist? The antagonist? What is the conflict? What is the setting? How does the "closed" setting of Hogwarts affect the story? What is the climax? Did the characters act honestly? Were they too one-sided? Did the ending seem faked somehow? Did the author seem to understand what she was actually saying, or did the message seem to be different from what the author intended?

[TMarie]

... I could have robbed him of the joy of reading it if I had assigned it.

 

 

:iagree: Don't take the fun out of it!

I know from experience that he will enjoy the book more if it's his idea to read it. ;)

[Crimson Wife]

Ok, I must say I cannot believe all of you let your elementary children read this!!! I finally read this series this past August along with my 13 and 15yo boys. I made them wait, and boy am I glad they did!! I really did enjoy the books. It surprised me how much they did. And they are the perfect age for Harry trying to figure out who he is, struggling with anger, and with his feelings for girls. But there is NO WAY I will let my 8yo girl read this!!! I mean SO many people die, the killing curses, torture curses, not to mention all the boys and girls making out in the 6th book!! Betrayal, jealousy... Although I think it is quite appropriate for high schoolers, I just cannot imagine a 6yo reading it!!!! I just thing there are some dark places. I wanted to warn those who might think it is just a fun kids book the way people are describing it. AS I said, I love the books and I think they are appropriate for Christians to read. But each book gets darker and the last book reminded me of the WWI book we are reading right now. So many good characters in Harry Potter died!!!

 

Christine

 

This is one of those YMMV things. Some children are more sensitive than others.

 

At first, I only allowed my DD to read the books 1-3 because they are not as dark as the later novels. But she's one of those kids who has never been fazed by violence- we'd read a lot in religion about various saints being martyred in different ways and it never bothered her. So I did decide to allow her to read the 4th book. After she finished that, we discussed it and she was fine. After each book, I'd discuss it with her and none of the stuff bothered her.

 

Ms. Rowling keeps the descriptions of the students' romantic life fairly tame by mostly implying things rather than stating them. I think most of it goes WAY over younger readers' heads. I'd actually be more concerned about an older 'tween/younger teen reading it because they'd be able to read between the lines.