It’s lights out for these readers

Lying on the floor with their legs crossed in the air, elbows propping up their heads and a red flashlight in one hand, two 8-year-olds read their favorite book, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” together in the dark.

It isn’t because their parents can’t afford electricity, and they aren’t rebelliously reading after lights out. Steven Unruh and Ryan McKee are just participating in class.

In Julie Newton’s second- and third-grade combination class at John R. Peterson Elementary School, the students have Flashlight Fridays. At the end of a long school week, students can grab a buddy, a flashlight and a good book and bunker down under their desks, lounge in a bean bag or find a piece of carpet.

Steven and Ryan said they like the idea of reading in the dark.

“But it’s bad for the eyes. That’s why we use a flashlight,” Ryan said.

The two are Flashlight Friday veterans, having been in Newton’s class last year, and enjoy reading in the dark. Their first time, however, they were a little unsure. Steven said when the lights were turned off, he was looking around waiting for someone to pop out of the corners.

Steven and Ryan always read together, because they are best friends, Ryan said. Eight-year-olds Mary Jordan and Taylor Byrom are also good friends and read together. Huddled under their desks, using a bean bag for a cushion, Mary and Taylor read their own book and take turns sharing a flashlight, alternating each page.

“It’s really fun to read on Flashlight Fridays,” Mary said, and Taylor agreed. “It makes you want to read more.”

Encouraging her students to read is the reason for Flashlight Fridays, Newton said. She is one of the only teachers in the school to implement the activity, but she is quick to admit she got the idea from another teacher.

“It’s a gimmick to get them to read more,” Newton said.

While reading in dark wasn’t originally her idea, Newton said it brought back memories from her own childhood of reading under the covers at night.

“I’m a big reader,” she said. “I’d pull out the flashlight and read under the cover to get that little bit in.”

Some of her students are reluctant readers, and Newton said she wants them to learn how to read to have fun. Charlie Pierce, 8, said he doesn’t love to read. The third-grader said he’d usually like to watch a movie more than read the book, but he wouldn’t mind reading in the dark every week.

“It’s a little more fun than just plain old reading,” Charlie said.