While reading always has its positive effects on children's' development, a new study suggests that it can have a biological impact as well. Researchers from the Reading and Literacy Discovery Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center discovered that children's brain power improves as a result of reading activities with their parents.
In their study, the experts found that kids between the ages of three and five, who were regularly read to by their parents, showed greater neuron activity on the left side of the brain. This is the part that helps develop literacy by controlling how a child processes language, develop comprehension of words, as well as translates visual imagery.
About 19 children participated in the small research, where scientists looked into the MRI scans of the children's brains as they listened to recorded stories and sounds.
The research team also asked their parents how often they read aloud to their kids, and evaluated the overall home environment for the presence of books, reading materials and other stimulating toys.
The results revealed that children who were read to by their parents at home on a regular basis, and who are exposed to a "literate" environment, had more active brain activity, particularly in the side of the brain that triggers comprehension and visual imagery.
"Reading to kids really changes their brains, even at a very young age," said Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus, the study's co-author, according to Yahoo. "This helps prepare them to learn academically and also helps them socially when it comes to interacting with their peers."
"It's too early to tell if that means kids who are read to at home will have higher IQs, but we can say that being read to engages parts of the brain that contribute to reading comprehension down the road," Horowitz-Kraus added.
The findings will be published in the Aug. 10 issue of Pediatrics.
