Bedtime Reading

Bedtime Reading

I allowed the kids to stay up a half hour past their bedtime provided they spent that half hour reading. I required that they lay in bed in read, but it didn't matter what they read as long as they spent that time reading. 

I started doing this when they were about 5 years old. From the first time they were able to be interested in something to read, I let them use this extra time before going to sleep to read. 

The impact was great. The kids would do anything, of course, to be able to stay up beyond the bedtime. As they got older and left the house, they relayed back to me that this was the most valuable thing that I had ever taught them because it got them to enjoy reading many different things. 

The older children are all avid readers. This is a wonderful opportunity for a parent to be a really good educator. The main thing is to build the habit of reading. 

If people read a lot, they will learn a lot.