All parents want their children to be as smart as possible so they can become successful adults. The most effective way to boost your children’s brains is to get them in the habit of reading. In fact, school performance correlates more directly with children’s reading scores than any other single indicator. 

Diving into a good book opens up a whole world of knowledge starting from a very young age. Exposing a child to vocabulary through reading not only leads to higher score on reading tests, but also higher scores on general tests of intelligence for children. Additionally, stronger reading skills in childhood lead to higher intelligence later in life.

Reading builds brain matter

One study of 72 children aged eight to ten discovered that reading creates new white matter in the brain, which improves system-wide communication. White matter carries information between regions of grey matter, where information is processed. Not only does reading increase white matter, it helps information to be processed more efficiently.

Therefore, just like going for a jog exercises your cardiovascular system, reading regularly improves memory function by giving your brain a good workout.

Inspiration from a brain surgeon

In a previous post, I told the amazing story of how Dr. Ben Carson’s mother helped him emerge from being the worst student in his class to being a top student and eventually a Yale-educated brain surgeon. Here are some of Dr. Carson’s thoughts on the power of reading:

“I emphasize that active learning from reading is better than passive learning such as listening to lectures or watching television. When you read, your mind must work by taking in letters and connecting them to form words. Words make themselves into thoughts and concepts. We develop our minds by reading, by thinking, by figuring out things for ourselves”.

You can read his story here: Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story: Ben Carson, Cecil Murphey: Amazon.com: Books 

How to maximize the brain-boosting benefits of reading

1. Choose print books over e-readers

A study found that readers could recall and understand information conveyed to them in a printed book far better than those reading the exact same book on an e-reader such as a Kindle. This meant that the readers of traditional books were enjoying the book more as they were keeping up with the plots and twists of the story.

Impaired retention and comprehension from e-readers could be because of the shallowing hypothesis. Our constant exposure to fast-paced, digital media trains our brains to process information on a screen more rapidly and less thoroughly, resulting in a more superficial understanding than we would have when reading a print book.

In essence, in order to ensure your children get the maximum brain-boosting benefit of reading, put aside the Kindle and buy them print books instead.

2. Read aloud with your children long after they learn to read on their own

Parents who want to encourage their children to become avid readers can do so by reading out loud to their children at home. While most parents stop reading out loud after their children learn to do it on their own, studies suggest that reading out loud to children throughout their primary school years may inspire them to become frequent readers. It would also allow you to laugh along with your child at the funny parts of the story and discuss aspects of the plots and the characters as the story progresses. This will give you lots of fodder for great conversations about values and choices.

Take Action

Yow now have the information you need to increase your children’s intelligence and it’s time to take action. Buy your children a few entertaining, enriching and inspiring books. Set a daily time to cuddle up and read together. Then sit back and watch your children benefit from a boosted brain!