The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. It produces our every thought, action, memory, feeling and experience of the world.
A part of who we become as adults is largely dependent on what is fed to our brain as we begin the journey of life.
Reading to your child from as early as birth, will have a very positive effect on how they behave as adults and helps to develop the brain.
Lisa Feldman Barrett Ph.D. is a neuroscientist, psychologist and the author of “Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain.” She is a university Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University, with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital. She is also Chief Science Officer for the Centre for Law, Brain and Behavior at Harvard University. This is what Dr. Barrett has to say about a child’s brain, “A child’s brain is not a miniature adult brain. It is a brain born under construction that wires itself to the world. And it’s up to parents to create a world-both physical and social-that is rich with wiring instructions”.
Here are a few tips that Dr. Barrett gives to assist with your child’s development:
Be a gardener not a carpenter. Carpenters carve wood into the shapes they want. Gardeners help things to grow on their own by cultivating a fertile landscape. In other words, provide an environment that encourages healthy growth in whatever direction the child takes.
Talk and read to your child a lot.
Research shows that even when children are just a few months old, and don’t understand the meaning of words, their brain still makes use of them. The more words they hear the greater the effect on them. They will also have better vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Explain things to them.
They are constantly asking why. But when you explained things to them, you’ve taken something new and novel from the world and made it predictable. When they understand the reason to behave a particular way. They can more effectively regulate their actions.
Here are some positive effects that reading to your child daily will have on them.
It sparks their imagination and stimulates curiosity.
Helps to develop their brain.
Helps with focus and concentration (discipline) social skills and communication skills.
Helps them learn the difference between make believe and real.
Very important to their success in school and life in general.
Supports cognitive development – construction of thought process including, problem solving and decision making, reasoning skills, language development, memory, attention span.
Improves language skills.
Prepares them for academic success.
Helps to cultivate a lifelong love of reading.
It helps them to develop empathy and they begin to imagine how they would feel in the situation.
It helps you to develop a special bond with your child.
Babies love to hear familiar voices, so reading provides that opportunity.
Your baby will look forward to the time you will share together.
Reading to your child helps to support the development of reading skills.
Humans find it easier to watch television and listen to vocal programs rather than read. Reading exercises the brain. Reading to your young child will stimulate their curiosity and thus spark early reading practices for them.
Stanford University Research indicates reading literally changes your mind. MRI scans confirms that reading involves a complex network of circuits and signals in the brain. As your reading ability improves, these networks get stronger and more sophisticated.
It is evident that reading to your child will have a very positive effect on the development of their brain and other skills.
Reading is also very beneficial to you as the parent. This is a time to bond with your baby. To relax and d-stress. To stimulate your brain with this simple activity.
After all children’s stories will spark your imagination also. Giving you an opportunity to visualize things activating your thought process.
Works Cited
Anderson, Jill. Harvard EdCast: Beyond the Literacy Debate: With renewed attention on how best to teach children to read, Professor James Kim discusses why learning this vital skill is so challenging. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/20/02/harvard-edcast-beyond-literacy-debate. Retrieved 2021.
Barrett, Lisa, Feldman. Harvard psychologist to parents: Do these 7 things if you want to rise kids with flexible resilient brains. (2021). https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/08/harvard-psychologist-rules-for raising-intelligent-kids-with-resilient-brains.html
Walsh, Bari. The Brain-Changing Power of Conversation: Interplay between parents and children ignites the brain and boosts its response to language, spurring lasting literary skills. (2018). https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/18/02/brain-changing-power-conversation
