Reading is a wonderful way to expand your vocabulary, increase your empathy, and become a better communicator. But did you know that reading can actually change your brain? There is real evidence that suggests your brain physically changes and rewires when you’re an avid reader; this can lead to a stronger and more healthy mind for years to come.
Keep following along to learn how reading rewires your brain.
What the Evidence Suggests
Cognitive neuroscientist, Stanislas Dehaene, scanned the brains of 63 volunteers, including 31 people who learned to read in childhood, 22 people who learned as adults, and 10 people who couldn’t read.
The scans turned out to be quite fascinating. They showed that the brains of those who could read exhibited more intense responses to written words in several areas of the brain that process what we see. Written words also triggered activity in the part of the brain that responds to spoken language. However, this didn’t occur in those who couldn’t read.
Reading, not to mention writing and texting, is a relatively recent invention, Dehaene stated. It’s believed that [the brain] must adapt on the fly, so to speak, in learning how to process written words, rather than being able to rely upon evolutionarily ancient modifications of the visual system pathways.
This means that there is a specialized area in your brain specifically designed to translate written words while shifting facial recognition into another section. This increases verbal memory and thickens the corpus callosum, which is considered the information highway that connects the left and right hemispheres of your brain.
In short, reading requires the use of certain muscles in your brain that have historically never really been needed until recently (from an evolutionary perspective). Speech patterns and facial expressions are, for the most part, an innate part of our brain; even children understand the basic communication of crying, laughter, or anger. Reading, however, is not an innate function of the brain. It needs to be taught and practiced. And the more we do it, the stronger our brain becomes!
Remedial Reading
We know that reading can physically change and strengthen the brain, but how does this actually help us in real life? Let’s look at a practical example.
Starting with the basics, remedial education refers to instruction provided to students who may need more support in certain subjects, such as reading or math.
Remedial reading is a highly effective, short-term intervention strategy that helps struggling readers, both in a group setting or one-on-one. A study published in 2009 showed that remedial reading had a huge impact on the brains of young readers, strengthening their brains and elevating their ability to process information.
Brain scans of struggling readers portrayed the white matter of their brains with decreased microstructural organization, which impacts the efficiency of communication between different areas of the brain. Basically, the wires that connect one part of the brain to the other were not running as smoothly as they could be.
The study examined that 100 hours of intensive remedial instruction affected the white matter of 8-to-10-year-old struggling readers and improved phonological decoding ability. Phonological decoding refers to sounding out words (or even nonsense words) by relying on the knowledge of how certain letters sound. This is related to phonemic awareness. Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound in spoken language, and phonemic awareness is the ability to detect them. This is not a natural skill; it’s learned and is a huge part of reading comprehension.
This study proved that with extensive reading and practice, the brain can actually be rewired. By taking advantage of the elasticity of the brain, we see educational improvement. With focused instruction, struggling readers, and even those with dyslexia, can overcome their difficulties with lasting results.
The Power of the Brain
There is so much to know about the brain and how it responds to different exercises. New scientific research and studies are being conducted every day. It’s fascinating to know that not only did our brains evolve to read, but the physical structures still change today!
Reading is a great way to stay sharp, improve your memory, and increase communication, but it’s something, like with all other exercises, that can take time to show results. Reading is a practice, not an innate skill. It’s something that must be maintained and cared for so that we don’t lose it. Practiced readers or individuals who love to read might not be aware of this or may even take it for granted.
If you or someone you know is a struggling reader, remind yourself and them that consistency is key. Just like with lifting weights or training for a marathon, you have to keep practicing, stay motivated, and know that results are not instant but gradual. It’s also important to remember that even if you feel that you read too slow, you’re still exercising the brain and making improvements. Reading slowly is better than not reading at all, and once you rid yourself of the pressure to read fast, you might find that you genuinely do enjoy it.
Start Exercising Your Brain Today
Reading is integral to our everyday life, but it’s not an ingrained skill that we’re born with. It’s something that we must practice every day, and doing this, strengthens our brain and even rewires different areas of it. If you want to become a stronger reader, or you just want to maintain an already strong reading habit, find new books that interest you.
The best way to stay consistent is to make sure what you’re reading is enjoyable! Many people feel pressured to read or like certain books that they don’t find interesting. You don’t have to read complex narratives in order to reap the benefits of reading — it has to be something that you like.
Book Outlet has a great selection of discounted books, no matter what you’re interested in reading. Go to their website to find everything from literary fiction and biographies to books on health and fitness.
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