Tips for Growing Bookworms #10: Let Them Stay Up Late Reading Under the Covers: A Booklights Reissue

This post was originally published at Booklights on March 30, 2010. This one is not yet relevant for my Baby Bookworm.

Tips for Growing Bookworms: #10 Let Them Stay Up Late Reading Under the Covers

This is Part 10 of a continuing series on encouraging young readers. These ideas were originally captured in a post that I did on my blog in 2007, 10 Tips for Growing Bookworms. Here at Booklights I'll be expanding upon and updating each idea, and adding links for more information. Then we'll recap, and see what we can do to come up with some more.

Tip #10: Once in a while, let your kids stay up late reading under the covers. Pretending you don't know is probably acceptable in this case, though I'm not generally a big advocate of deception. Staying up past bedtime reading a great book under the covers makes reading fun. It's a special treat. It's a way to keep reading a joyful experience. It feels sneaky and grown up at the same time. It's the kind of thing that kids remember, and helps them to associate reading with pleasure as they grow older. [Image credit: Microsoft ClipArt Gallery]

I think that this idea could tie in to the whole concept of "social reading", too. Say, when the new Rick Riordan book (The Red Pyramid, featuring Egyptian mythology) comes out in early May, or the next Diary of a Wimpy Kid book by Jeff Kinney is released. If your child stays up late reading that buzz-generating book under the covers, and can brag about that at school tomorrow, well, I think that could go a long way.

As kids get older, one of the challenges is that reading isn't always perceived as "cool." I say, if your child wants to read enough to sneak a flashlight into bed - you should consider yourself very lucky. (See Tricia's post about this at The Miss Rumphius Effect. That post was the inspiration for this tip.) Of course sleep is important, too. But I think that the occasional bending of the rules about bedtime could be a real asset in growing bookworms.

What do you all think? Do you ever let your kids stay up late, reading under the covers?

This post was originally published at Booklights on March 30, 2011. Since Booklights has ended, I am republishing selected posts here, at Jen Robinson's Book Page, with permission from PBS Parents. Booklights was funded by the PBS Kids Raising Readers initiative. All rights reserved. 

Comments

[Laurie Moulton]

Great post! My boys have headlamps that they love to use under the covers--such forbidden pleasures do make bookworms!

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks for commenting, Laurie. I love the idea of headlamps! I'm going to sneak one into Baby Bookworm's room when she's older.

[WonderMama]

I remember staying up late at night reading by flashlight in my bed. My mother let us read at 'nap time' too and started the habit of always having a book near your bedside for late at night, early morning, and every time in between. Encouraging the habit of reading before bedtime is such a positive in the life of children! We have bedtime stories before bed with my toddler son now and hope to continue the tradition for many years to come. Personally - I try to always read before bed too! I have been known to keep my bedside lamp burning late into the midnight hour to read just one more chapter!

I also like the idea of headlamps! What a clever way of giving reading a little extra 'coolness'!

[Jen Robinson]

I agree, WonderMama. I try to read before I go to sleep every night, too. We don't read to Baby Bookworm before bed just yet, because she usually falls asleep after having a bottle. But once she's in a toddler bed, I'm going to start reading there.