Reading a gripping novel causes biological changes in the brain which last for days as the mind is transported into the body of the protagonist

Being pulled into the world of a gripping novel can trigger actual, measurable changes in the brain that linger for at least five days after reading, scientists have said.
The new research, carried out at Emory University in the US, found that reading a good book may cause heightened connectivity in the brain and neurological changes that persist in a similar way to muscle memory.
 
The changes were registered in the left temporal cortex, an area of the brain associated with receptivity for language, as well as the the primary sensory motor region of the brain.
Neurons of this region have been associated with tricking the mind into thinking it is doing something it is not, a phenomenon known as grounded cognition - for example, just thinking about running, can activate the neurons associated with the physical act of running.

“The neural changes that we found associated with physical sensation and movement systems suggest that reading a novel can transport you into the body of the protagonist,” said neuroscientist Professor Gregory Berns, lead author of the study.
“We already knew that good stories can put you in someone else’s shoes in a figurative sense. Now we’re seeing that something may also be happening biologically.”
21 students took part in the study, with all participants reading the same book - Pompeii, a 2003 thriller by Robert Harris, which was chosen for its page turning plot.

“The story follows a protagonist, who is outside the city of Pompeii and notices steam and strange things happening around the volcano,” said Prof Berns. “It depicts true events in a fictional and dramatic way. It was important to us that the book had a strong narrative line.”

Over 19 days the students read a portion of the book in the evening then had fMRI scans the following morning. Once the book was finished, their brains were scanned for five days after.
The neurological changes were found to have continued for all the five days after finishing, proving that the impact was not just an immediate reaction but has a lasting influence.
 
“Even though the participants were not actually reading the novel while they were in the scanner, they retained this heightened connectivity,” added Prof Berns. “We call that a ‘shadow activity,’ almost like a muscle memory.”

This is the last post in my series on the importance of reading for children. I am so happy for all the positive feedback I have received for part one and part two – I hope you will enjoy this last instalment as well.

Reading is the key to other learning

A fondness for books is an invaluable help when your child goes to school. Anyone who has a love for reading has an innate thirst of knowledge which is beneficial for learning any other subjects such as science, maths, history, geography and other languages.

Better writing skills

The more you read the better you will also be at writing. This is something that is important especially for a child’s minority language, which usually does not get trained as much as the language used at school. Seeing words in a written form is vital for learning to write.

Improved concentration

Children who love reading can concentrate on their tasks better than those children who are less ardent readers. Never be upset with your children if they can’t hear you when they are immersed in a book – it (usually) means that their ability to concentrate is top notch!

Brain training exercise

Reading is a complex task that activates several areas of the brain and as such has a positive impact on them. Recent research has shown that “reading a good book may cause heightened connectivity in the brain and neurological changes that persist in a similar way to muscle memory”.

Enhanced logical reasoning

When children read books they learn to understand abstract scenarios as well as cause and effect situations. Both of these skills help them in logical reasoning, which again comes handy in many aspects of their day-to-day lives and even more so at school and later on in working life.

Wider cultural understanding

Culture and language go hand in hand. Reading is particularly beneficial for understanding the minority language culture, as there might not be as many opportunities to experience the culture first hand.

Love for reading will be passed on

Children who have learnt to treasure books will in time pass this passion on to their own children. A benefit that moves on from one generation to another – how good is that!

Last but not least, reading is FUN

If have often emphasized the importance of having fun when teaching your children your language – books are a great way to have fun together, explore the world, learn new stuff and let your imagination loose.

Read more about reading!

To further inspire you to read for and with your children, check out these posts in which parent bloggers share their experiences:

Great books

Head of the Heard enjoys the Gruffalo and Amazing Machines.

Glittering Muffins has many posts on books, here is one on the World book day and another about Christmas and winter books.

Trilingual Children loves these wonderful Russian books.

Miss Panda Chinese has several Chinese books in her collection Miss Panda’s Reading Playground.

All Done Monkey helps you find lovely Spanish books for toddlers.

Kid World Citizen writes about how books can help teach children about different cultures.

How to use books to boost language skills

Glittering Muffins writes how they have read books in both English and French.

Trilingual Children gives some great advice on how to read to a baby and when to start reading.

The Piri-Piri Lexicon makes the case for bilingual books and why you should choose wisely.

Dads the way I like it reads in Welsh to his son and writes about babies, books and blogging.

Bilingual Monkeys quite rightly claims that you can never have too many books … and I will finish with his great collection of 43 quotes on the importance of reading.

“… language is paramount for children to become socialized and develop a sense of belonging within cultural settings”
This is a quote from an article from a Japanese magazine about the importance of passing on the culture of a language alongside the language itself. You can read the whole article here. I find the article excellent – apart from the headline, which in my mind is too negative. Maybe the writer wants to grab the reader’s attention with a slightly provocative title.

The article describes the close connection between identity, culture and language. It emphasises how vital it is that children who grow up with more than one language are supported in not only learning the languages but also understanding the cultures of their languages. While the article raises the issue specifically with regards to English speaking children in Japan, the principles are the same for any families bringing up bilingual and multicultural children.

The article gives an example of the difficult situation when children refuse to speak a language they have been previously happy to speak – a heart-breaking situation for the minority language parent whose language usually is the one to get dropped. I have written a few posts on how to tackle this kind of situation as most multilingual families encounter them at some point. It is important to be prepared for that this may happen in your family. The best way to prepare is to make sure that your children are still motivated to speak your language when they grow up and their interests change. We also have to remember, that children can and should not be forced to speak a certain language – a gentle coercion is fine, but the main drive has to come from the children’s want to speak it.

For children to want to speak a language they need to feel confident about it. The more they know of the language AND the culture it represents, the more at ease they will be at using the language in their everyday lives and less likely to reject it. By introducing the children to the culture of the language parents can positively support their children in finding their own unique multicultural identity.

Note that ‘culture’ is not to be interpreted only as arts, literature, theatre, music, food and the like. Though these are central to a culture it is even more important to also include aspects of the culture that the children wholeheartedly enjoy, for example comics, sports, celebrities, fashion, TV programmes, movies, games and so on, the list includes anything that could spark the children’s interest.

What are your experiences with regards to raising a multilingual/multicultural child?

This is the second instalment in my series on why I think reading is so important for all children and especially so for children in families with more than one language.

Expands the vocabulary

It is a given that reading is an excellent way of teaching your children new words in the languages they are learning. If you happen to be the minority language parent or maybe even the only person talking your language to your child, it is not always easy to find a natural way of using certain words in everyday discussions. Reading about a topic is a good way of introducing new words. In a book a words get a wider context which helps to memorise them, as do pictures that go with the text.

Improves communication skills

With a more extensive vocabulary your children can express themselves better in different situations. For bilingual children, this makes reading particularly important for the exposure to the minority language, as they might not come in contact with so many different speakers of the language in their day to day lives.

Spurs the imagination

Fictional characters, adventures and places inspire children’s imagination, making them more creative in their own language use as well as writing. I am sure several imaginary friends have had traits of characters from books!

Opens your mind

Reading about different people, places and ways of living and also helps children (and adults for that matter) be more open-minded about new concepts and ideas. The goal for most multilingual families is to raise happy, tolerant, global citizens – being open-minded is at the heart of such a goal.

Develops empathy

By reading about other’s experiences, children learn how to put themselves into other people’s shoes. Their understanding of what someone is feeling is improved every time they get emotionally involved in book characters’ lives. This helps them be more empathetic in real life as well.

Reduces anxiety

Children are often afraid of new experiences, which is understandable. There are the big occasions in life such as the first day of school, a new sister or a brother or a move to a different country or just a different house down the road or simply the first night away without mum or dad. Reading about how other children have coped in these situations allows your child to feel more relaxed and prepared for the situation.

Books are good company

Children who have learnt to love books will always have company. When they learn to read themselves, books are the friends that are always there for them, ready to keep them entertained. A child that enjoys reading rarely uses the words “I’m bored!” Books are also very convenient: easy to take with you anywhere, hard to break and don’t need batteries!

You can find part one of the series here. If you have enjoyed the two first posts of the series, I invite you to come back for the last part in a couple of days. In the last of the series I will also include links to other parent bloggers thoughts about books and reading.

May the peace and power be with you.