5 Unexpected Ways Reading Shapes Little Minds
While reading is a great tool for learning and expanding the depth and breadth of knowledge, there are several unexpected benefits to shaping a child’s mind. Smart Bubblegum offers the following five considerable benefits.
- Adjectives Can Send a Spark Through the Sensory Cortex – Reading words that relate to texture, like fluffy or rocky, can stimulate the sensory cortex as the mind makes a connection with how those things FEEL. The same holds true when reading words associated with sights, smells or sounds. You can encourage those connections further by asking your child to use descriptive words when touching, smelling, hearing or seeing something unusual.
- Reading Can Evoke a Physical Sensation – Ever heard a poem that made you feel choked up or read a scary story that sent chills up your spine? Whether reading the words themselves or having a book read to them, reading can again stimulate different parts of your child’s brain that might evoke a physical reaction. Talk about those physical sensations with your child – especially when you feel them, too.
- Reading Can Expand Imaginations – Although many children’s writers will dictate the experience – guiding your child through how they will envision the worlds the writer has created, a select few will leave things open to interpretation. This is particularly true as children age and their reading materials age along with them. Have fun discussing the different interpretations of a character or setting in your child’s mind and your own.
- Some children have trouble learning the connection between certain letters and sounds or problems pronouncing words. The brain is a muscle that needs to be exercised. This is particularly true for brains that are wired a little differently. Kids who struggle with reading initially can benefit from fun, short reading sessions to help them overcome challenges like word recognition and reading comprehension. Set them up for success before each reading session by ensuring they’ve had a healthy breakfast and a good night’s sleep.
- Reading Can Teach Empathy – Children only know their own experiences and reactions to those experiences. Reading can introduce them to other experiences and help them view the world through a different lens. It can give your child a deeper understanding of how people not only live, but how they think and feel.
With a goal of impacting literacy at the GLOBAL level, Smart Bubblegum is proud to serve as a go-to resource for parents, grandparents, teachers and young readers. We offer an extensive library of books and reading apps that encourage kids at virtually every stage of learning to Play More, Get Smarter! Start exploring at SmartBubblegum.com.