Would you read aloud Harry Potter to a 6 yo?

[Alaska Mom]

Dd6's interest in read alouds has moved into books that are typically listed (on Amazon) in the "9-12" age (age where H.P. is listed).

 

I'm pretty careful about what I select to read to her. She wants me to read her H.P. which I personally don't have a problem with the book, but I just wonder if this too soon for a 6 yo? She's scares very easily with movies (we don't watch many), but she loves suspense in reading and is very eager to have me read H.P.

 

What do you think? Too young for HP and wait, or go for it? And with our reading in the 9-12 age books - should we be reading books at that level for a 6yo, as a general question?

[Pam "SFSOM" in TN]

Dd6's interest in read alouds has moved into books that are typically listed (on Amazon) in the "9-12" age (age where H.P. is listed).

 

I'm pretty careful about what I select to read to her. She wants me to read her H.P. which I personally don't have a problem with the book, but I just wonder if this too soon for a 6 yo? She's scares very easily with movies (we don't watch many), but she loves suspense in reading and is very eager to have me read H.P.

 

What do you think? Too young for HP and wait, or go for it? And with our reading in the 9-12 age books - should we be reading books at that level for a 6yo, as a general question?

 

Others would disagree, but I wouldn't. I think it no doubt depends on the child and the family, though that's not a very helpful analysis! :001_smile:

[JennW in SoCal]

I read Harry Potter aloud when my youngest was just 5, and he loved them. I worried as the books got darker whether I'd need to edit some scenes for him (only 4 books were out at the time), but he didn't bat an eye over the tension or the death in book 4, it didn't cause any nightmares (and I've got a couple of sensitive kids, too).

 

I don't know if I'd have gone on with later books when my son was little as they mature in tone, theme and action. I don't think he would have even enjoyed, for instance, all the "snogging" going on among the characters! You'll know once you start them what your dd would enjoy. It was really special to have the books grow up with my kids as we had to wait for each of the next titles to get published -- they started reading them aloud to me!

 

I've always read aloud and had us listen to books that were far ahead of their reading levels. Usually the books were classics without any worry about inappropriate content. It really helped shape their appreciation of literature, and increased their working vocabulary.

[Alaska Mom]

Okay thanks! One yes and one no - I totally agree with both of these posts if that's possible! I was only considering the first in the series, not the entire series. I honestly am more inclined to wait. It's not really the kind of reading we're doing, and I'm just not ready to go there yet, but was curious what others thought.

[AnneC]

I'm not suggesting to my dd that she should read them yet. If she asked I would reluctantly let her read them but she is sensitive and she walks out of the room if I'm reading something that she doesn't like. My son on the other hand I'd let him read them. He's a year younger than his sister but is not sensitive like she is. Actually, I've only read the first five and I think that my dd would cope fine with the first few, once she starts reading them though she'd probably want to finish the series.

[fivetails]

I'd say sure - after all, when you're reading the book aloud, you're right there to see her reactions...if she looks uncomfortable or puzzled or nervous or whatever, you can stop reading. If she's enjoying it and isn't bothered by anything, you can continue. :)

[Bev in B'ville]

..was an advanced reader and started reading the books to herself at that age. I read them, too, and if she had questions or comments we talked about them and I provided my perspective and some context.

 

The problem children have with media of any kind (whether it's movies, books, music, whatever) is that they do not have the context in which to put it. What do I mean by that? It means that they do not have the life experience to put things in perspective. That's where you come in. You put those things in perspective. For example, if you child happens to see a movie with lots of foul language then you explain that that's not really how real people talk. Ask them to look around them, how many people do they actually know who speaks like that? If they do know someone who speaks like that, have him look at others surrounding that person and how they respond to him/her (e.g. nervous laugh, sidelong glances, walking away, etc.). If you are a religious person, you provide the religious pov; what God says about people with foul mouths. You explain that you and dh don't speak like that because.....

 

No one should live in a hole (IMHO). Your dc will grow up and be out in the real world. You will provide the context of how they see the world, whether you do it willingly or not.

 

By the way, after reading the books, we bought them on audio to listen to in the car. My kids LOVE listening to them (still). Jim Dale is a wonderful narrator and you'll swear you're listening to an entire cast of people narrating the book. He is excellent.

[FriedClams]

I would not. I think there are tons of wonderful reads for the younger set (my kids are 6 and 7) to read to our kids now. Yes, they would probably be fine with HP or Narnia or some of the other older reads now - but what will be left for them when they are 9-12? Adult books? Rereading things I've read to them? I think we rob children of some of the experience of great books and stories if we read them too soon. Yes, they will understand and enjoy the story - but what about the subtle themes, the nuance, the things that make us sigh when we put it down? Those might be caught later as a child rediscovers a book when they are older, but what if instead they look at it and say "Yeah, I've done that one before" and never really experience the book? They may have enjoyed it when it was read to them as a younger child - but not experienced it. What if, in their youth, the subtly of the book bores them, or confuses them - in way that they can't articulate to the parent - and they are put off from ever reading it as an older child? If we read them older books too soon - we rob our kids of the sheer joy of feeling like you've found an undiscovered treasure on the library shelf - and it's so great you have to share it with everyone. I want to save some books - some of the best books - the books I *want* to read to them and want so much for them to LOVE - for them to have that experience.

 

So - no, I would not read it to them. Not now. There are too many great books for us to enjoy and savor now, and we'll savor the others even more when we get there.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I did read the first three to my son starting when he was 5. He was a precocious reader and he had heard about the books from another homeschooling friend (who had older siblings who were reading the books.) I stopped after book 3 because we wanted to wait until he got older. Sso there was a several year gap between book 3 and book 4 in our house.

[Tree House Academy]

I didn't read the other responses. I would read aloud Year 1 and maybe even years 2 and 3, but I would stop there. I was actually quite disturbed myself in Year 4 during the return of Lord Voldemort at the end. I think the books get much darker in years 5, 6, and 7 as well. I wouldn't call it "scary," but "dark" seems to accurately describe it. Even the opening to book 3 (the shell of Lord Voldemort and wormtail talking in the house when Nagini slithers by and tells them the old man is in the hallway listening...then Voldemort kills him with the death spell) would be haunting for a young child. My son is 9 and really wants to listen to the book on CD, but I won't let him just yet. I think he needs to be a bit older to understand completely toward the end of the series. Just my opinion.

 

ETA: Have you read all the books yourself? If not, I would suggest you reading them first and deciding for yourself if your child is ready for that. I couldn't make a judgement with my kids had I not read them myself. Just a suggestion - you know your dd better than any of us. :)

Edited November 5, 2008 by Tree House Academy

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Our Story:

 

When my son was 6, we had a Hogwart's reading academy. He had refused to do 100 Easy Lessons any longer and said he wanted to be reading books like his brothers who just happen to be 5 and 9 years older than he is.

His choice of a first book was Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone.

 

If it was my first child, I wouldn't have done it. I would have fought for my right to determine what and when my child would read, and I would have succumbed to all the anti Harry propoganda. However, I had been ground down to mush and remolded by that time, so I set up the Hogwart's Reading Academy.

 

Every day we would read Harry Potter. First it was one sentence at a time. I would read one sentence and ds would read the next, getting phonics instruction as he went. It was boring and tedious. Ds loved it. In about a month we moved on to a paragraph each. In another month, it was a page apiece and ds was reading fairly fluently. It was all worth it.

 

So yes, I would read Harry Potter to my 6yo. But you need to read it first and decide what is right for yourself and your child.

[snickelfritz]

Rowling aimed the books at a specific age and made them each get "older", since each book was released a year apart.

 

I WILL say that my very sensitive dd can handle books better than she can movies. She loved "Charlottes Web", the book. She refuses to watch the movie.

 

And, I DO read her chapter books that are geared towards older kids. I wonder if the stated age is reading level? I just pick books that aren't dark.

 

You might check out "The Read-Aloud Handbook" by Jim Trelease. He suggests Potter for grades 2-8(and Trelease is all for reading advanced books) and warns that it isn't an easy read-aloud. But, he gives TONS of review and ideas for books for reading aloud.

[JFSinIL]

The first couple books - yes. But you need to think about how ready the kid is before reading each of the later books, esp. #4 onwards.

[3lilreds in NC]

I've been concerned about letting my girls, ages 7 and 8, read Harry Potter. I *love* the books myself and have no problem with them, but was concerned about the scary/dark factors.

 

We've been listening to the audio books together, and they really enjoy them. We're up to book 6. They assure me that they don't think they are scary. That was my main concern, and since they are fine with it, I don't mind having them listen along.

 

I like that we're listening to them together rather than having them read them on their own.

 

I do find it funny (and at a certain point annoying) that Emma has been going around the house with a marker trying to stupefy her sister. :lol:

[mrsdash]

My 7 yr.old dd just started book 1 a few days ago. She has grown up with HP because my oldest is a huge fan so it just seemed normal for her to start reading book 1.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

My ds read the entire series (he just turned 7 this summer) and loved them. It totally depends on the child. You know your child. If they like things like that, it is a great read. I loved the books as do my kids. You can always stop reading if it seems to bother her and try again at a later time.

[Trivium Academy]

I would read Narnia instead of Harry Potter if you're looking for that type of story. I place Harry Potter in the independent reading category- a child can read it if they want to while I prefer to read aloud books I want them exposed to.

[Jenny in Florida]

As someone else said, I'd suggest reading the books yourself and then making a decision based on what you know about your own child. With that said, though, I'll tell you that we started reading HP to our daughter when she was about 4. We read each of the first four books aloud as they came out, by which time my daughter was not quite 8. Once we had read them aloud together, she'd go off and re-read it on her own. In fact, when she was about 5 and a half, Sorceror's Stone was the first "real" chapter book she read all the way through. When book 5 came out, she didn't want to wait for us to read it aloud and grabbed it to read herself.

 

I then read the first one aloud to our son before we went to see the first movie. So, I guess he would have been about 4, too.

[Laura Corin]

The first book should be fine, but the themes and incidents become more mature with each book.

 

Best wishes,

 

Laura

[Melinda in VT]

I would and I have.:D

 

I read the first book or two aloud to my oldest at that age.

 

My twins read them themselves when they were 6.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

My son started HP at age 5, reading them on his own. I told him he could read one a year. Not all of the books were out yet, and he knew DH and I were reading them one a year too, as they came out.

That allowed him to grow with the story, still being just a tad too young to get everything out of it, but he rereads them often, and gets more and more each time.

 

But when you have a youngster who's interested in more advanced books, that's usually because books aimed for his age no longer hold any interest to him. At 5, my DS could read Harry Potter. He had no interest whatsoever for Spot goes to School!

[LauraGB]

We read them out loud here, too. I think they were 5yrs (maybe even a late 4, I can't recall exactly). I started to read them out loud because *I* wanted to read them and didn't have any extra time for personal reading at the time, LOL! Everyone, even Dh (who doesn't read if he can help it) were so absorbed in the story, it seemed we read all the time! Books 6 and 7 were not out yet, but when they did finally come out, everyone had their own copy and read it on thier own, with a strict rule not to speak about the book until we were all done!

 

I jumped ahead in book 5 because I couldn't read it out loud fast enough, and I was a little concerned with the heaviness of a certain part of it (*I* had a hard time with it, for crying out loud!), but when I did read it aloud, it simply generated some really good questions and great discussions.

 

I say go for it.

[EKS]

I wouldn't read Harry Potter aloud to anyone because it is one of the books that kids are sure to read themselves. Also, in my opinion, 6 is too young, but that's not the main reason that I wouldn't read it.

[Donna]

n

[Veritaserum]

Would and did :) The first three books are tamer than the last four. The Chronicles of Narnia is a better fit for that age, though, I think. :)

[Tutor]

I think it depends on the kids. I am currently reading it aloud to an 11yo, 10yo, 8yo, 4yo and 2yo. The 4yo and 2yo tend to wander off, though.

[Kari C in SC]

I read then aloud to my dd when she was about that age. I was actually reading them with her brother that was 10 years older. She became really interested in the stories from a really young age. I don't think I warped her! LOL!

[H.S. Burrow]

Okay thanks! One yes and one no - I totally agree with both of these posts if that's possible! I was only considering the first in the series, not the entire series. I honestly am more inclined to wait. It's not really the kind of reading we're doing, and I'm just not ready to go there yet, but was curious what others thought.

 

I wouldn't have any problems with the first book - as a read aloud - for a 6 year old.

[Jennifer3141]

I've read them aloud to a 4 and 3 year old so my answer is yes. :)

 

Jen

[swellmomma]

I would, In fact I do. My ds5 has seen the movies, and we use the audiobooks in the car and he hears them. I have no problem with it.

[chaik76]

I read them to my 7-year old when he was about five. He loved them.

[Starr]

We enjoy the books but I would wait . Our children read them when they were closer to the age of Harry in the book. After the first book comes the second :). They get less appropriate for young children as they go. We felt there was so much else to read to our little ones. You might want to read it yourself first.

[lmrich]

Yes, I think reading aloud leads to discussions and that will give you insight into how your child processes the content. My kids were very focused on the power of friendships in the book and that led to an interesting discussion. Personally, I love the books and look forward to the day when I can discuss with my kids how the "wizard" government tried to control the schools, the police, ... alot like Nazi Germany. There is good stuff in there.

 

That being said the Narania books are excellent, and have a Christian theme.

[myfunnybunch]

My ds (7) and I started reading the Harry Potter series when he was 6. I read the first, he read #2 and #3. He decided to stop after #3 because he knew that #4 was scarier than the ones he'd already read. I think you and your child will know if it's too much.

 

Cat