Reading Champion: The Magic Porridge Pot
Reading champion Series
on Goodreads (177)
What’s inside...
'Reading Champion' offers independent reading books for children to practise and reinforce their developing reading skills. Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and a reading activity. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure. The porridge pot always produces food for the little girl, but it runs amuck when her mother tries to use it.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
6-8
Length
32 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What would you do if you had a magic porridge pot?
How do you think the village felt when the porridge wouldn't stop?
What lesson did the characters learn about handling magical items?
Why is it important to follow instructions carefully?
How would you have solved the problem with the overflowing porridge?
Tip: Role play these questions
Use expressive voices for different characters to make the story more lively and engaging.
Encourage your child to imagine their own magical item and discuss what they would do with it.
Ask your child to predict what might happen next in the story, fostering their analytical thinking.
Discuss the importance of responsibility and following directions, linking it to real-life examples from your child's experiences.
After reading, engage in a creative activity like drawing scenes from the book or creating a new ending together.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: The importance of responsibility
Explanation: In 'The Magic Porridge Pot', the story revolves around a pot that will keep producing porridge until a specific phrase is said. When the character forgets to say the phrase, the porridge overflows, teaching about the repercussions of shirking responsibilities.
Real-World Application: Children can learn the importance of fulfilling tasks they are given, whether it's turning off a tap after use or completing homework assignments on time.
Example Lesson: The consequences of greed
Explanation: The overflowing porridge pot serves as a metaphor for the consequences of greed. When characters in the story allow the pot to overflow out of a desire for more, it creates chaos, demonstrating that greed can lead to negative outcomes.
Real-World Application: This story helps children understand why it's important to be content and not to take more than they need, such as taking reasonable portions of food or sharing toys with friends.
Example Lesson: The value of sharing with others
Explanation: As the porridge pot fills the village with food, the community comes together to share the abundant resource. This highlights the importance and benefits of sharing.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this lesson by learning to share resources and help others in their community, whether it’s sharing school supplies or participating in community service activities.
Example Lesson: Listening skills and following directions
Explanation: The chaos ensues in the story mainly because the character fails to remember and follow specific instructions about stopping the pot. This underscores the importance of listening carefully and adhering to directions.
Real-World Application: This lesson can be applied in a child's life in contexts such as following a recipe while cooking with parents or adhering to rules while playing games at school.
Example Lesson: Problem-solving and resourcefulness
Explanation: When faced with the dilemma of the overflowing porridge, the characters must figure out a solution to stop it. This teaches children about thinking on their feet and finding solutions to unexpected problems.
Real-World Application: Children can learn to apply problem-solving skills in everyday situations such as resolving a dispute with a peer or fixing a broken toy with available resources.