MRI shows association between reading to young children and brain activity

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-04/aaop-msa041715.php

Public Release: 25-Apr-2015
American Academy of Pediatrics

Among the advice new parents receive is to read to their babies early and often. The hope is that sharing books together will help children's language development and eventually, turn them into successful readers.

Now there is evidence that reading to young children is in fact associated with differences in brain activity supporting early reading skills. The research will be presented Saturday, April 25 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in San Diego.

"We are excited to show, for the first time, that reading exposure during the critical stage of development prior to kindergarten seems to have a meaningful, measurable impact on how a child's brain processes stories and may help predict reading success," said study author John Hutton, MD, National Research Service Award Fellow, Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Reading and Literacy Discovery Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. "Of particular importance are brain areas supporting mental imagery, helping the child 'see the story' beyond the pictures, affirming the invaluable role of imagination."

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