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Debate,

Should Kids Have Later Bedtimes in the Summer?

Elliot wants to stay up later in the summer. His mom disagrees. Whose side are you on? 

From the May/June 2021 Issue
Lexiles: 500L-600L, 600L-700L
Guided Reading Level: O
Featured Skill: Supporting an Argument,
Common Core Standards
  • R.1, R.2, R.6, R.8, W.1, W.4, W.10, SL.1, SL.3
TEKS Standards
  • Grades 2-3
    1a, 1c, 1d, 5a, 6b, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 9e, 11a, 11b, 11c, 12b

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Dear Mom,

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I’m so excited—summer vacation is right around the corner. I’ve worked hard in all of my classes this year, and now it’s time to celebrate the end of the school year. Having a later bedtime is the perfect way to do that!

Staying up later will give me time to play and exercise outside after dinner. Plus, the sun sets later in the summer. It’s pretty tough to go to sleep when it’s still light out!

I also did some research. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that third-graders get 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night. As long as I snooze a bit later in the morning, I can still get the sleep I need to stay healthy.

I could even go back to my usual sleep routine a few days before heading back to school. That way, I’ll be ready to start fourth grade. As long as I’m getting the same amount of sleep, what’s the harm in staying up a little bit later this summer? 

Love,

Elliot 

Dear Elliot, 

a woman smiling while holding a tub of popcorn

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I can’t wait for summer to be here either. I know how hard you’ve worked this year, and I’m so proud of you!

But I don’t think having a later bedtime is a good idea. Research shows that kids who go to bed later don’t sleep as well. They take longer to doze off and wake up more often during the night. Kids who don’t get enough sleep can feel moody and less focused the next day. I know you don’t want to feel like that!

And like you said, if you go to bed later, you’ll have to wake up later. But you won’t be able to do that every day, especially when it’s time to go to your favorite summer camp.

Plus, it will take more than a few days for you to adjust back to an early bedtime. You don’t want to be tired at the start of fourth grade, do you?

Let’s stick to the same sleep schedule this summer and find another way to celebrate the end of school. How about a movie night with popcorn? 

Love,

Mom 

What do you think?

Go back to the letters and find reasons to support each side of the argument. Write down the information, then study the points on both sides. State your opinion in one sentence, which can be the introduction to an opinion paragraph.

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Can't Miss Teaching Extras
From the Storyworks 3 Archives

Share other debates between parents and children from our archives, like “Should You Invite Everyone to Your Birthday Party,” “Do You Have to Write Thank-You Notes?,” and “Is Tik Tok Good for Kids?”. Ask students to brainstorm other good debate topic ideas for parents and kids. Be sure to send us your best ideas! 

Teach This

Your students will learn more about how and why we sleep, along with healthy sleeping habits, at the National Sleep Foundation’s site for kids. The site’s games and puzzles help reinforce the information found there.

Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Download the Lesson Plan

1. PREPARING TO READ

Have students preview the text features. Ask:

    What is the topic of the debate? (Prompt students to use the debate title and the     heading on the chart as clues.) 

    What are the two opinions people might have about this topic?

2. READING THE DEBATE

Depending on the reading level of your students, read the debate as a class or break the class into groups.

Have students read the debate a second time. Prompt them to highlight evidence supporting each side as they come across it. Using two different colors of highlighters would be useful here.

3. DISCUSSING

As a class or in groups, have students discuss:

Which opinion has the best evidence to support it?

Is one side stronger than the other? Why?

What is your opinion? What evidence helped you form your opinion?

For more advanced readers: Do you think the author has an opinion on this issue? What is your evidence?

4. WRITING

Have students complete the chart in the magazine or our full-page printable chart (available in your Resources tab in PDF and interactive formats).

Guide students to write an essay on the debate topic, using the chart they filled out.

Text-to-Speech