But little did I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. Reading has been scientifically proven to have mental, emotional, and brain health benefits.
Book worms are bright for a reason! Reading has some profound brain benefits. Reading combines numerous brain areas, including the left hemisphere’s frontal, temporal, and parietal lobes. Reading strengthens these brain areas over time and promotes brain connections throughout time(brain connectivity is the brain network that unites making up the brain).
But why is this important?
Stronger brain connectivity is associated with higher cognitive functions, including memory, language, introspection, and imagination.
Stimulating your brain positively, such as having a positive mindset, can also increase brain connectivity.
Reading has certain psychological advantages as well. Professor Philip Davis of the University of Liverpool discovered via his research that reading poetry might help us uncover and accept new meaning, which can promote mental flexibility.
Reading can also alleviate stress. Reading helps build neural circuits and pathways in the brain while also decreasing heart rate and blood pressure.
Finally, the emotional health benefits of reading are my favorite. Reading may help us develop empathy, which is a skill that we can all work on. According to New School researchers, reading fiction can help people increase their emotional intelligence by expanding their capacity for empathy and ideals about social behavior.
As much as schools and some parents may strive to instill in children the importance of reading, some kids may say it’s not their jam.
Try asking your children what some of their favorite topics are and seeing if you can find short books on that subject. Easing your kids into reading will be less painful than diving in head-on.
I highly encourage parents to read at least a couple of pages or a short book to their children every day to keep their interest in reading alive!
Below I will leave some sites to find some great books for your children.
*Diverse book Finder: https://diversebookfinder.org/
Best for younger children. Tip: Utilize the collection analysis tool (CAT) to ensure your children’s library is diverse.
*BookTrust: https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/bookfinder/
This site has a book finder where you can select an age range and genre of book your child wants to read and receive dozens of book recommendations.
References
Chiaet, J. (2013, October 4). Novel finding: Reading literary fiction improves empathy. Scientific American. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/novel-finding-reading-literary-fiction-improves-empathy/
Diverse BookFinder. (2018, December 10). Identify & explore multicultural picture books. Diverse BookFinder. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://diversebookfinder.org/
Find a book. BookTrust. (n.d.). Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/bookfinder/
Hawkins, J. (2022, April 20). The psychological benefits of reading. Medium. Retrieved May 23, 2022, from https://baos.pub/the-psychological-benefits-of-reading-85bce6b769da
Martinez, K. (2020, November 5). Reading books can benefit your mental health – step up for mental health. Step Up For Mental Health – To Educate. Fight Causes. Change minds on Mental Health. https://www.stepupformentalhealth.org/reading-books-can-benefit-hour-mental-health/#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20that%20reading,heart%20rate%20and%20blood%20pressure
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