Engage Your Readers with Flashlight Fridays

Turn out the lights and turn on reading engagement with Flashlight Fridays!

Our literacy team took a new direction this year with our school-wide reading incentive program. We wanted to establish a literacy-rich environment where all students were given the opportunity to participate in literacy celebrations. We did away with required nightly reading minutes, signed reading logs, and rewards given only to students who completed the reading challenge. Alternatively, we focused on creating opportunities for students to enjoy authentic reading, writing, and discussions.

We planned several school-wide activities throughout the year to promote literacy: graffiti walls, book swaps, mystery readers, and Flashlight Fridays. For today's post, let's take a look at Flashlight Fridays.

Flashlight Friday Event Details:


Once each month we held a school-wide Flashlight Friday event where students were invited to bring their flashlights to school and use them to read their books during a "lights-out" read-to-self time. A note was sent home to parents in advance to let them know when Flashlight Friday would be held. Students were asked to keep the flashlights tucked away in their backpacks until it was time to read.

Turn out the lights and turn on reading engagement with Flashlight Fridays!

The Results

The flashlights students brought to school were as unique as the children. We saw everything from finger-flashlights to headlamps.  Student excitement was undeniable. Children often doubled up to share flashlights with those who forgot. In addition, many teachers kept a few spares in their desk drawers. We invited all the members of our school community to participate in the fun by bringing their own flashlights and joining a classroom to read.

Our December Flashlight Friday was my favorite.  Teachers plugged in Christmas lights and stretched them across the floors, and students read by holiday lights. Isn't this cute?
Turn out the lights and turn on reading engagement with Flashlight Fridays!

Have you held a Flashlight Friday?  How do you keep your students engaged in the task of reading? Please share your ideas in the comment section below.


9 comments

  1. My big kiddos LOVE Flashlight Friday! Even my 7th graders begged to be able to do this! LOL! I have a set of finger flashlights (about 50 total) that I purchased from Amazon from an incredibly cheap price. Every Friday after our Spelling test we pull out our independent reading books and stretch out around the room for a good 20-30 minutes of reading... me included! This is such a beloved activity that for earned goals my kiddos will ask for an extra Flashlight Friday. Love it!

    Angela

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    1. Hi Angela,
      I purchased a set of four finger lights at Target for $3. Love the Amazon tip...80 finger lights for under $10. Thanks for sharing!
      :) Wendy

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  2. I LOVE this idea! I will have to try Flashlight Friday with my third graders this year! :)

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  3. Oh yes!!! I am so glad I found this!!!

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  4. What a great idea!! Gives the kids something different to look forward to as well! Thanks for the awesome idea, keep up the good work! Can't wait to try this with my 2nd graders this next school year. :)

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  5. I've been doing Flashlight Fridays for a couple of years now, and my kids LOVE it!! Thanks for the idea for December - using the holiday lights to read by. It will be a nice option for December!

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    1. Hi Karen,
      I hope your students enjoy the holiday lights as much as ours do.
      :) Wendy

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