Reading level of Harry Potter?

I checked the accelerated reader list and the Harry Potter books started at a 5.1 (grade level) and the last one was a 7.2. This one will probably be at least that level but if past history holds true it’ll be more advanced.

This is what I do with books my 11yo DS wants to read but are a bit too difficult. We take turns reading out loud. Usually a page at a time. That way he gets help when he needs it and we get to spend some nice time together.

thanks!

That’s a great idea, and you could find out what goes on too.
:-) Btw, has he read Order of the Phoenix? If he has not, he won’t understand much.

—des

We’ve been reading all the harry potter books ( and lemony snicket, and artemis fowl etc etc) to him for years because he couldn’t read them himself.

When he heard the new HP book was coming out he asked me if I thought he was ready. He had friends reading Harry potter 3 years ago, so this would really feel like a big accomplishment to him.

Reading every other page is excellent advice. We did that for years, it also helped me to see his true reading level.

As he improved he would read me a few pages and I would read one.

all of the books mentioned are available on tape and cd. makes those long road trips fly by. The harry potter books have a particularly wonderful reader

I would suggest that he start by reading an old one, between now & when the new one comes out. Yes, it would be a rehash, but he’d pick up thiings he missed and it would build the context to make the next one easier — or he’d realize it was frustrating.

Trading off is a great idea — or reading the first parts of a chapter aloud and letting him finish. (When I had students gaining independence, we would read together trading paragrpahs for three or four minutes of our tutorial session, and then about ten of the 25 minutes of independent work time would be for independent reading. It was a real motivator — and also meant that when there were confusions we could clarify them, add words to the vocab list, etc.)

http://www.resourceroom.net/comprehension/bookreviews/harrypotter1.asp has a discussion of some of the “readability” issues for the first HP book that would apply to all of them. You just can’t reduce readability to a number. Walking into HP cold is totally different from reading number 6 in a series.

I posted this before I saw mmm’s response….

May I suggest you look at getting the book on tape?? We have the first three Harry Potter books on tape, and that is a great way for my DS to be able to enjoy the book without the stuggling of trying to read it. (My other son reads like a fiend and his brother gets upset that he can’t do it as well)

The speaking is at normal conversation rate, so it is very hard to try and follow along with the book, but it can be done. I don’t know if they will have it available as soon as the book is ready, and it isn’t a cheap way to go, but it does give them the freedom to ‘read’ the book anywhere!

Just thought I’d offer that suggestion. We got our books on tape through Chapters.

Be well,
Jori

You make some excellent arguments, and I think they are true. But I also feel that the earlier books are easier reading (even though they all have those many interesting words). I think one thing I have seen is that the sentences in later books are more complex. Compare the starts of books 1 and 2 to 4 and 5. Prisoner is in the middle somewhere.

—des
>http://www.resourceroom.net/comprehension/bookreviews/harrypotter1.asp has a discussion of some of the “readability” issues for the first HP book that would apply to all of them. You just can’t reduce readability to a number. Walking into HP cold is totally different from reading number 6 in a series.[/quote]

Hi Karen,

I know my “just-turned-11-year-old” son couldn’t do it on his own. We’d have to go through it together. The biggest problem is the books are sooo thick!

Although my son recently read and finished an actual chapter book by himself for the first time!!!!!! He did it in two evenings and on the second evening we didn’t even tell him to read it. It was only a Marvin Redpost book. But still, this was a first!!!! He’s read picture books by himself, but never an actual chapter book. Earlier this year when he was sick I had him read one of the other Marvin Redpost books out loud to me to prove he could read a book in one day (he hadn’t believed this was possible).

So even if you do decide to work on Harry Potter together (or listen to it on cassette), there may be other positive reading opportunities. I find its nice to see progress even if we’re still quite a bit behind.