How Everyday Reading Helps Cognitive Brain Development
Reading has a significant role in carving our personality and success. Many successful people, from business leaders to researchers, political figures to celebrities, follow reading as their way of life. They are cross-domain readers interested in developing their knowledge base to improve their lives and careers.
Everyday reading helps increase our understanding of the world and existing situations around us. Reading habit aids in bringing a significant difference in our thought processes, giving us a unique perspective. Inculcating reading in daily routine brings numerous benefits for children and adults, from cognitive development to ensuring success in academics, imagination, perception, creativity, and many more.
Proven Health Benefits & Signs of Brain Development Through Reading
Reading has proven health benefits and helps cognitive brain development. These are some of the time-tested benefits that reading has on human brains:
1. Facilitates and Strengthens Neural Connection in the Brain
According to a study – reading increases the communication between parts of the brain that controls language processing. This results in the brain part being able to process sensory information and go through long-term positive changes. The neuron is a cell that transmits information between brain parts, which increases with reading. Regular reading forms new neuronal connections among new and older networks, strengthening the neural connection and gradually improving our memory, deep thinking, and decision-making.
2. Prevents Decline in Cognition Ability with Age
Age affects a person’s memory and cognition, i.e., the ability to learn, remember, and make judgments. According to a 2020 study, reading one or more times through a week decreases the chances of cognition decline at 6-year or 14-year intervals. Even reading lowers the risk of dementia.
3. Reduces Physical and Emotional Stress
Reading is a proven physical and emotional stress releaser by various studies. Researchers found students reading news articles for 30 minutes experienced a decrease in their physical stress markers like blood pressure and heart rate, with low scores in stress surveys. Neutral reading material, having no strong feelings, decreases the arousal of the sympathetic nervous system.
4. Supports Concentration and Memory Improvement
While reading, we create a ‘mental map’ of texts, helping in word processing that requires mental effort and concentration. It also aids in knowledge recall and memory. Regular reading contributes to memory functioning by letting the brain practice its mental process.
5. Leads to a Longer Life
Reading also finds its link to longer life in a 12-year-long study. The study says reading habits can decrease the risk of mortality by around 20 percent in comparison to those who do not pursue reading regularly.
Role of Reading in Cognitive Brain Development in Kids
Cognitive development is the process of the construction of thought processes, problem-solving, decision-making, language development, imagination, creativity, and memory. And reading plays a significant role in improving the kid’s cognitive skills and supports them in the future.
Perception and Thinking Process
Introducing reading into a child’s life gives them the power to connect the story to their lives. Reading various books expose them to different worlds, culture, and character. It assists in making sense of events in their lives at a young age.
Language Skill Development
Whether reading a classic novel or fairy tale, regular reading habit in children helps them with language acquisition, communication skills, building vocabulary, and social and literacy skills.
Imagination and Creativity
Reading imaginative and creative topics or activities helps the child explore people, places, times, and events beyond their experiences. It widens a child’s imagination and aids them in acting creatively.
Greater Concentration
Regular and consistent reading increases their concentration abilities and helps a child learn to sit and listen for a long period.
The Story Cabinet – Your Everyday Reading Reserved Space
As the quotation says, “Books are our best friends who walk by us in life’s thick & thin” similarly, the companionship of books increases our knowledge, perspective towards life, imagination, and creativity and even acts as a stress release.
In this digital age, reading platforms like The Story Cabinet (TSC) have made the accessibility of books easier by curating many interesting books and reading materials in one place. At TSC, one can customize the profile, set preferences, and choose to read based on personal interest. The dedicated Kids section with variations in book selection helps kids create interest in reading and develop their cognition skills.