Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. Reading puts your brain to work. Your brain on books is growing and changing. Pick your favorite, pithy reading cliché, and the old adage there is some truth to most stereotypes applies.

But, what does reading do to the brain? Well, the science is clear—The reading brain is active, changing, identifying patterns, and making new connections. In short, our brains change and develop in fascinating ways when we read. In fact, as you read these words, your brain is decoding a set of manmade symbols and synthesizing these symbols into complex ideas.

Reading is special because, despite common misconception, it involves multiple brain functions, including visual and auditory processes, fluency, comprehension, and more. Researchers at Haskins Laboratories for the Science of the Spoken and Written Word have shown that the same neurological regions of the brain are stimulated by reading about something as by experiencing it first-hand. Furthermore, Reading, unlike watching television or listening to media, gives the brain additional time to stop, think, process, and imagine the narrative in our mind’s eye. Reading has also been shown to slow down cognitive decline in our later years. But, here are several specific benefits that accrue through reading every day.

Reading Enhances Fluid Reasoning

Fluid intelligence is the ability to reason and solve problems by detecting meaningful patterns. Reading increases our fluid reasoning (imagine reading a Sherlock Holmes’ story and trying to reason through evidence and predict a plot twist, all while hypothesizing as to who the real killer is) but in improving our fluid reasoning we also increases our reading comprehension. And, this positive feedback loop leads to increasing returns to reading (no different than the principle of compound interest.)

Reading Enhances your Emotional Intelligence

Reading has always played an important social function. While reading, you mentally visualize the setting, the characters, the relationships, and the details as described by the author. Putting yourself in a character’s shoes is a social experience that results in total immersion. Reading fiction is especially useful because it enhances the ability to detect and understand other people’s experiences and emotions, and this is a critical life skill that allows you to better navigate complex social relationships.

Reading Enhances Concentration

In society today, we are constantly bombarded with smartphone notifications, emails, text messages, phone calls, and social media, which require us to constantly switch our attention between tasks. But when you read a book, all of your attention is concentrated on the particulars of the novel in hand. The rest of the world fades to the background, and you become absorbed in the most minute of details. And, once you get in the habit of reading every day, you will be surprised by how much more focused you are in other areas of your life.

How to Embrace the Reading Habit

Start by setting aside 15 to 30 minutes of your morning to read. You don’t need to sit down and read Moby Dick in a single sitting to enjoy the benefits of reading. Instead, start by reading in regular, short bursts. Start small to develop a good habit, and let the habit blossom over time. Or, spend a similar amount of time lying in bed before falling asleep with a good book in hand. Or better yet, do both! Remember though, reading is like any skill—You must practice it regularly and constantly to hone your skill.

If you have questions about how to instill the habit of reading in your son or daughter or would like to discuss reading comprehension skill development, please contact our team at (720) 605-6622 or via email at info@mosereducational.com.