McCown 1

Sydney McCown English W233 Professor Weller 11 November 2011

Researching the Magic of Harry Potter: An In-Depth Exploration of the Benefits on Developing Minds

If I were to ask you to name the most influential and memorable childrens books of all time, what would you say? Perhaps Charlottes Web, The Princess Bride, or The Secret Garden, but what about the Harry Potter novels? Of course theyre popular, you can hardly walk into a bookstore without seeing the 4,175 pages of the boy wizards life neatly packaged in a cardboard replica of his trunk, but what makes them influential? What is it about this lanky, bespectacled boy that captivates audiences of all ages? What is the basis of J.K. Rowlings inspiration, and how did she create such an important staple in our generations history? In this paper I will explain why the Harry Potter series is much more than a trend: It is a phenomenon that can encompass several generations and provide both broad and highly-focused positive attributes to the readers life, whether it is in a clinical, educational, recreational, medical, or scientific setting. June 30, 1997 would change J.K. Rowlings life, and the world, forever. This is the date of publication of the novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, the first in the Harry Potter series. Since that day fourteen years ago, the Harry Potter novels have sold over 450 million copies and been translated into 70 languages. Many accomplished directors such as Chris

McCown 2

Columbus and David Yates adapted the novels into film. The eight film franchise has pulled in over $1 billion in box offices and shattered numerous records. While the series is advertised to appeal to children, it is becoming more and more popular with all ages. At this point you may be thinking that the facts are great, but how does this prove that Harry Potter is beneficial? My presentation begins by the demonstration of the positive effects that have been recorded among children. As Vicky Hallett said, the U.K.-based Federation of Children's Book Groups just released figures showing that 59 percent of U.K. kids think the books have improved their reading skills and 48 percent say the books are why they read more (Hallett, 2005). This is an astonishing result found immediately after the sixth book was released. It is clear that Harry Potter has hooked children on reading. The series keeps them begging for more adventures about Harry, Ron, and Hermione, the series three main characters. Obviously these books are a great tool to aid in childrens desire to learn. While sifting through different journals and articles about childrens reading rates, it is clear that Harry Potter is the sole reason why most children have been interested in reading since the first date of publication in 1997. Being hooked on the series is just one part of the phenomenon, though. Is it possible that something so popular in our culture can have such a beneficial effect in a classroom? The answer is yes, and my claim is supported with this quote from Halletts article: the books enchanted struggling readers as well--kids like 17-year-old Mike Cossairt of Stafford, Va., who credits Harry Potter for his discovery of pleasure reading and its effects. I had pretty bad English grades, but then I increased my vocabulary and started to do better, says Cossairt, who now enjoys titles like Of Mice and Men (Hallett, 2005).

McCown 3

Cossairt is not alone in his discovery; Tisha Beaton of Gaspereau, Nova Scotia, Canada transformed her sixth-grade classroom into a mini-Hogwarts and has the statistics to show that Harry Potter does in fact have a positive effect on developing children. Beaton arranged her classroom to reflect the lessons that Harry took in his first year at Hogwarts. Mathematics was focused around budgeting gold and figuring Hogwarts students grades, Science was divided into many subunits that reflected Potions class, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies, and Language Arts was focused around discussing the morals and ethics of the Potter series. The performance of the students increased dramatically, with Beaton saying the Harry Potter classroom and context had a motivating effect on their work, and it created positive attitudes towards mathematics (Beaton, 2006). Improved grade performance was also seen throughout the Language Arts unit; Beaton noticed that the classroom discussions about morals and ethics of the series bolstered the realization that the group was more important than the individual, and this awareness promoted more meticulous analysis of the sixth-graders assignments as well as an increase in overall confidence of each student. It seemed as though the discussion of friendship and loyalty in the Potter series had mirrored upon the Canadian students. Together, all of these individual items raised the childrens grades and desire to learn. Beaton remarked that students were beginning new projects at home that echoed her Harry Potter themed assignments and they were excited to show them to her. The positive effects of Harry Potter in the classroom continue all the way through adulthood, and it has been proven by Jennifer Conn, who demonstrated through a theoretical approach how the professors in the series have a progressive effect on clinical teachers in our Muggle world. In her article, Conn analyzed real-world situations that are commonly experienced by clinical students, such as the importance of a professors full understanding of

McCown 4

their subject, the significance of proper demonstration, and assessing students in a nonthreatening manner by using questions and observations. These lessons are supported by Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Madam Hooch, and Professor Snape. Comparing real-world students abilities to learn to that of the Hogwarts students provides identication of core principles of teaching and learning that can be translated into a set of observable teaching behaviors (Conn, 2002). Each professor in the series has an important role, not only in Harrys development, but also in their ability to demonstrate and teach moral and ethical lessons among the Hogwarts students and Harry Potter readers. For example, Professor Snape is one of the most memorable, and significant, characters in the series. Snapes role in the series is very complex, but it is obvious that his teaching practices are not. He does not hesitate to target students directly with closed questions and mutter obscenities when potions are mixed poorly. For example, in the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Neville Longbottom sent Professor Snapes temper flying when he mistakenly added potions ingredients in the wrong order, causing the result to be an acidic potion that was spewing from the cauldron and onto the students. Snapes immediate reaction was to yell idiot boy! before sending him to the hospital wing. Soon after, Snape continued his fury over the potion by targeting Harry and saying You Potter why didnt you tell him not to add the quills? Thought hed make you look good if he got it wrong, did you? Thats another point youve lost for Gryffindor (Rowling, 1997). Conn uses his teaching style and personality to demonstrate to real-world clinical students how methods of teaching can be intimidating and stunt learning progression. Conversely, Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall are key examples of positive teaching methods that real-world students can learn from. Conn describes Professor Dumbledore

McCown 5

(the headmaster of Hogwarts) as compassionate, dedicated, and non-judgmental, which leads to increased self-confidence among his students at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall is described as having a masterly understanding of her subject of Transfiguration, which allows her to understand that a complex task such as turning a pet into a water goblet may not be appropriate for her first year students. Madam Hooch is also a positive example that clinical students can learn from; her role in the series is to provide an example of positive demonstration when she teaches the first year students how to mount and fly a broomstick. Conn concludes her essay by saying Using well selected examples of instructional technique for critical analysis is an excellent mechanism for introducing clinicians to the theoretical basis of educational practice (Conn, 2002). The series is also used to measure impact among adults and children. Kenneth Apel makes a strong argument in his article called The Magic of Impact when he describes how the impact of Harry Potter can be seen in generations young and old, as well as how the impact is present in scientific studies. The seven book series is an excellent tool for working with gradeschool students because it helps with etymology and reading comprehension. It can also be helpful to college age students because it promotes intriguing conversation and essential criticalthinking skills. While these things may be obvious at this point, there is a surprising benefit of the Harry Potter phenomenon: the impact of Harry Potter can actually be measured and used to compare and show the impact of another scholarly journal. This process is called an impact factor and is explained by Apel as this: An impact factor is determined through a formula that involves dividing the number of current year citations (e.g., 2007) made to articles published in a specific journal over the previous two years (e.g., 2005 and 2006) by the number of articles

McCown 6

published in that same journal over those same 2 years (Apel, 2007). Harry Potter is commonly used to determine the popularity of an article since the novels are best-sellers. Harry Potter is also used by both adults and children in medical settings, such as in a counselors office that features a patient with a mental disorder. This is one of the major areas of study when dealing with Harry Potter because it has measurable effects that prove to be positive. Counselors are leaning more towards using the series with children because of the rich detail about moral and ethical controversy. In an article titled Empathizing with Harry Potter: The Popular Use of Literature in Counselor Education the author Donna Gibson explains why using the Harry Potter series as a role-playing tool among her counseling education students can help them significantly. Gibson explains in her article that there are four ways in which using fiction, specifically Harry Potter, can benefit counseling students. The four ways include allowing students to experience material at an emotional level, encourages development of empathetic activities, focusing on one character allows students to better comprehend thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and fiction can help patients empathize with themselves as well as others. In her study, Gibson implemented the novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone into her semesterlong counselor education program. While keeping the four main methods in which fiction helps students in mind, Gibson continued her study with persistence only to find that the outcome of the study proved positive. Gibson states, By the midpoint of the 15-week college semester, most of the student participants were spontaneously connecting issues in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to clients they were seeing on-site during their practicum experiences. In effect, the activity seemed to have been successful in promoting students' cognitive perspective-taking and emotional empathy (Gibson, 2007).

McCown 7

Not only does this study benefit college-aged adults, but using Harry Potter in a clinical setting also benefits children who are suffering from bereavement. Katrina Koehler published an article in 2010 that analyzes the effect of Harry Potter on grieving students titled Grief Bibliotherapy and Beyond for Grieving Children and Teenagers. In this article, the author focuses on the positive effects of Harry Potter in a clinical setting by reviewing a book written by Kathryn and Marc Markell, which is called The Children Who Lived: Using Harry Potter and Other Fictional Characters to Help Grieving Children and Adolescents. The book is broken down into four main components, the first of which being about the Harry Potter series. There is also a much smaller focus on other childrens books that deal with grief, such as Where the Red Fern Grows and Charlottes Web. Grief is one of the most major components of the Harry Potter series. When Harry is just one year old, his family is torn apart by murder. Although he doesnt remember much more than just a green flash of light, Harry saw his lifeless mother fall to the floor to protect him. Harry then had to endure years of psychological and physical abuse when he lived with his aunt and uncle. When the time came for him to attend Hogwarts, Harry had to deal with much more corruption, murder, emotional trauma, and grief during his seven year education. The focus of The Children Who Lived is to promote positive coping mechanisms among children and teens who are grieving. This is done by analyzing scenes in the Harry Potter series, such as something so miniscule like Ron Weasleys wand breaking, or to something much more major, like the decision Harry had to make about letting himself be killed for the greater good of his people at the end of book seven. The significance of the Harry Potter series is most obviously shown in the research about recreational reading. Across the world, more and more children are throwing books aside for video games or Internet activity, but there are studies that show that Harry Potter is changing

McCown 8

their minds about reading. In the article The Power of Potter, Hallett says, According to data released last week from the National Center for Educational Statistics's long-term trend assessment, the number of 17-year-olds who reported never or hardly ever reading for fun rose from 9 percent in 1984 to 19 percent in 2004 (Hallett, 2005). This certainly fits the time frame of the release of the Harry Potter novels. As I have stated in the beginning of this paper, nearly 50 percent of U.K. children acknowledge that their desire to read recreationally is from the Harry Potter novels. What is it about this series that makes children crave more? Children attribute their love for the story to the complex detail of Harrys magical world compared to their own. Twelve-year-old Hannah Bredar of Washington D.C. puts it like this, I love that Harry lives in two worlds, one with Muggles and one with wizards and witches, and has to go between the two (Hallett, 2005). Concentrating on Harrys adventures may also serve as an escape from reality for less fortunate children who read the series. Tyler Walton was a typical 9-year-old boy in 2000, although he was undergoing harsh treatment for leukemia. After reading the Potter series, Tyler had a more positive outlook on life. In his application essay for a contest titled How the Harry Potter Books Changed My Life, Tyler says this about the novels, Harry Potter helped me get through some really hard and scary times I sometimes think of Harry Potter and me as being kind of alike (Gray, 2001). Another testimonial of Harry helping children is seen in a young Serbian girl, Magda Anastasijevic. She has read the series and interpreted it to correlate with the genocide that was occurring in her country. The series is also used by adults to promote recreational reading; Professor Vance Smith is introducing the Harry Potter series in correlation to Medieval Studies with a seminar titled Harry Potter and This Ever-Changing Medieval World, (Gray, 2001).

McCown 9

Harry Potter is also seen as a symbol of social status for those that have read the series recreationally. In Halletts article, she explains a story of a womans long-term research on childrens reading habits while growing up in low-income households. The study just happened to take place as the Harry Potter novels were being released, offering a perfect opportunity to measure how successful the series was at improving recreational reading rates. In her study, Professor Diane Barone says, In second or third grade, they all started carrying around the books even though they couldn't read them By fifth and sixth grade, they'd all read them. It was a status thing. They wanted to be part of the club (Hallett, 2005). This undoubtedly shows the impact that Harry Potter has on young children, not just in an educational sense, but also as a way of declaring popularity and social status. As most people know, the good never comes without the bad. Many nay-sayers of the series claim that Harry Potter is satanic because he practices witchcraft. After spending hours of my time researching this, I was unable to find any specific research that proved Harry Potter had a direct satanic influence on children who read the series growing up. I was unable to find any source that claimed Harry Potter was their gateway to Satanism. What I did find, however, was an article that compared the Harry Potter series to an addiction, much like alcohol or drugs. Jeffrey Rudiski and colleagues teamed up to show that there is a parallel to addiction for those who read the Harry Potter series. In their article Harry Potter and the End of the Road: Parallels with Addiction, Rudiski explains the findings as such: Through use of three surveys posted online, we established that a sizeable portion (though not a majority) of self-described HP fans demonstrated craving for the release of the final book in the series, and experienced some withdrawal symptoms upon finishing the book. HP fandom also produced a disruptive influence on day to day functioning of some fans in a 6 month follow-up. In sum, we found parallels

McCown 10

between criteria used to diagnose traditional forms of addiction or dependence and some peoples attachment to a phenomenon in popular culture, (Rudiski, 2008). The disruptive influence described above relates to intermittent thoughts about a Harry Potter book or the next film during a typical day activity. Clearly the researchers state that only a small percentage have been found to have a Harry Potter addiction that is medically diagnosable. This was the only scholarly source about a negative influence from the series that I was able to find. This further supports my argument that Harry Potter is a positive influence on developing minds. I firmly believe that the Harry Potter series is beneficial to all generations. I believe that it should be implemented as part of a school curriculum and parents should not discourage their children from reading the series because they believe it will have a satanic influence on them. I have not found any research to support such theories, but I have found plenty of credible sources that say Harry Potter definitely has a positive influence on readers. Harrys enchanted world shows us that there is a positive outcome at the end of the road. Many people refuse to read the series because they think it is a childrens book and too far below their reading level; what they dont know is how helpful the series can be to adults in so many different ways. Adults can learn to see through Harry Potters eyes to understand the adolescent mind. Harrys appeal to children is much more than just an entertaining story; Harry is seen as a lifelong friend to all those who let him into their lives. J.K. Rowlings tale teaches us all about morality, friendship, love, hate, and grief in a way that no one else could. There are plenty of statistics that show that the Harry Potter series is widely successful, but not so many that tell us why. Perhaps it is the impact of accomplishment when the reader finishes the 4,175 page series, or the bond between the reader and the protagonist. The phenomenon of Harry Potter is so massive and difficult to comprehend, but one thing is for certain: Harry will be with us for a very, very long time.

McCown 11

References Apel, K. (2007). The Magic of Impact. Language, Speech & Hearing Services in Schools, 38(4), 295. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Beaton, T., & Perry, T. (2006). Harry Potter as a Context for Interdisciplinary Studies. English Journal, 95(3), 100-103. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Conn, J. (2002). What can clinical teachers learn from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone?. Medical Education, 36(12), 1176-1181. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Gibson, D. M. (2007). Empathizing With Harry Potter: The Use of Popular Literature in Counselor Education. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education & Development, 46(2), 197-210. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Gray, P., Brahim, M., & Cullinan, S. (2000). THE MAGIC OF POTTER. Time, 156(26), 116. Retrieved from EBSCOhost. Hallett, V. (2005). The Power of Potter. (Cover story). U.S. News & World Report, 139(3), 4451. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Koehler, K. (2010). Grief Bibliotherapy and Beyond for Grieving Children and Teenagers. Death Studies, 34(9), 854-860.

McCown 12

Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry potter and the sorcerer's stone. (p. 384). U.S.A: Scholastic. RUDSKI, J., SEGAL, C., & KALLEN, E. (2009). Harry Potter and the end of the road: Parallels with addiction. Addiction Research & Theory, 17(3), 260-277. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.