Why not change the format of the comprehension questioning in your reading lesson plans to use Harry Potter novels? This will in fact work with any novel study.

After each chapter or section of the book is completed, ask your students to submit a trivia question about what they have just read. The questions can be both simple and complex. The teacher will also strategically add his/her own questions, making sure to cover the comprehension and/or grammar questions that are important. Spelling questions can also be added using new words learned from that chapter. Trivia can also include questions on other lessons such as science and math which relate to the passages that have been read.

After all the questions have been received, divide your class into the 4 Hogwarts house teams: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. These four teams can be changed from time to time for each new book or they may be kept constant. The competition among the children in each house will further increase their desire to read effectively so they can help their teams. Children with more advanced reading and comprehension skills will want to help out those in their teams who may be struggling, thus offering some peer coaching.

Children will look forward to reading the assigned chapters and learn to enjoy reading and to comprehend the written content much more effectively when Harry Potter Trivia is used in your classroom.

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Valerie Giles owns and operates Cyber-Prof: Teacher Resource Site an educational web site that specializes in resources for school and teacher supplies. Free stuff for teachers, teaching strategies, K-8, educational toys & games, back to school, classroom technology and home school curriculum.