Long-term Benefits of Reading for Your Child

Victor Hugo once said, “To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.” There is a spark that is lit when your child reads. That spark will only grow into a bright flame that ignites passion when your child understands the benefits of reading.

Your child may view reading as a chore, especially if he or she is a visual or auditory learner. Videos, songs, and images resonate well with these types of children. However, reading is still a habit that will provide your child with long-term benefits. Here are a few benefits.

Reading develops the occipital lobe

People who begin reading at an early age have a highly developed occipital lobe. The occipital lobe is the visual processing center of the brain. A person with a highly developed occipital lobe:

• Processes visual information more effectively
• Has enhanced imagination and creativity skills
• Has strong writing and reading comprehension skills

Reading improves emotional intelligence

Human interaction is inevitable anywhere we go. Therefore, it is important to have the emotional intelligence to create the best interpersonal interactions. Reading, according to Open Culture, creates a refined theory of mind.

The theory of mind refers to how we explain and predict each other’s actions. Improving this brain function increases empathy by enabling us to view multiple perspectives. This will help your child network and build positive relationships as he or she grows.

Reading improves vocabulary

Essay writing has gradually become a critical feature of your child’s academic life. Your child will soon be leaving high school and may enter a college or university. The ability to write well-developed and verbose essays will set your child apart from his or her peers.

Reading helps children build their vocabulary. A study conducted by Ludo Verhoeven, Jan van Leeuwe and Anne Vermeer revealed that there is a direct relationship between a child’s advanced vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Reading improves memory

Reading is a highly involved mental process. Remembering the storyline and following its progression adds to the reading experience. The more your child reads, the more he or she will rely on memory.

One study revealed that “People who participated in mentally challenging activities [such as reading]…had a slower rate of decline in memory compared to those who did not engage in such activities.” Therefore, it is safe to assume that if your child actively reads at least one book per week, his or her memory will vastly improve over time.

Reading reduces stress

Grades 11 and 12 are two of the most stressful high school years. Your son or daughter is under a lot of pressure to perform well so that more options are available for future success. The University of Minnesota believes that reading reduces stress. They provide some useful tips to ensure that the books are chosen truly add to stress relief:

• The book should be in a genre your child enjoys. Forcing a child to read classical literature when he or she is interested in fantasy fiction will only lead to stress.
• The book does not need to be a bestseller.
• Ask your child to evaluate how he or she feels after reading a few chapters of a book. If there is still a great feeling of stress, that book may not be the right choice.
• Take a stress assessment to determine the real underlying cause of the stress and deal with it.

Putting it all together

Reading can improve your child’s performance because it:

• Develops the occipital lobe
• Improves emotional intelligence
• Improves vocabulary
• Improves memory
• Reduces stress

Let a tutor from Tutors on Call help your child develop positive reading habits. You will see an improvement in your child’s academic performance for the new academic year.