How to Hold a Hogwarts Sorting Ceremony
If you’re teaching or reading aloud Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, a sorting ceremony is a must! My students and I had so much fun doing this every year. I find the best time to have your sorting ceremony is right after Chapter 7, the chapter in which Harry is sorted.
First, have your students take a sorting quiz. I have a simple five question one included in my Novel Study for Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone, but there are lots of longer ones online if you have the time! If you want your ceremony to have an element of surprise, score the quizzes yourself rather than having students score their own. Once you’ve determined each student’s house, you’re ready to have your sorting ceremony!
Place a stool or chair at the front of the class. You can play some Harry Potter music (Hedwig’s Theme always gives me chills!) from Spotify or YouTube to really set the mood. Call the students up one at a time, placing a wizard’s hat on their head. You can splurge on an official Harry Potter sorting hat, but a less expensive one works fine too! I think I found mine around Halloween at Target for a few dollars. Announce which house they’re in, and award them a house certificate (also include in my novel study). They don’t give out certificates in the book, but my kids always got a kick out of it!
If students don’t like the house they’re sorted into, remind them that the sorting hat does take your preference into consideration, as it did for Harry.
You can find more magical classroom ideas here and you can find my comprehensive Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Novel Study here!
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