Parents, Take Note! Read Out Stories to Your Child to Give Their Brain a Boost

As children we all have unforgettable memories linked with our parents or grandparents telling us bedtime stories of the world of fairy-tales, monsters and things unimaginable. Aren't those memories still vividly captivated in our mind? The act of storytelling or reading tales with your little one doesn't only create long-lasting memories but is also significant in child's cognitive development. Researchers have found that engaging with children while reading books to them gives their brain a cognitive boost.n order to ensure your child's optimum cognitive development and growth it is imperative to engage him/her in activities that would enhance those skills. Playing puzzles and problem-solving games are apt for such purposes. A recent study explains how reading out to your child or telling stories may also serve the purpose. Ensure that the activity is interactive and engages the child to the maximum.Reading stories to your young one may also motivate them to pick up reading on their own as they grow older. This plays a vital role in enhancing their self-esteem, boosting confidence and enriching their communication and vocabulary.

"The takeaway for parents in this study is that they should engage more when reading with their child, ask questions, have them turn the page, and interact with each other," the lead author of the study John Hutton, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Centre, US was quoted by IANS.

According to the study published in the journal PLOS ONE, this reinforces the value of "dialogic reading", where the child is encouraged to actively participate. It was also noted that simply speaking the words aloud may not be enough to improve cognitive development in preschoolers.

"In turn, this could fuel brain activation -- or 'turbocharge' the development of literacy skills, particularly comprehension, in preschool-aged children," Hutton said.

For the study, the experts studied MRI scans of 22 four-year old girls to analyse the link between engagement and verbal interactivity during a mother-child reading session. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) found significantly greater brain activation in four-year-old children who were more highly engaged during story listening, suggesting a novel improvement mechanism of engagement and understanding.

"Our findings underscore the importance of interventions explicitly addressing both parent and child reading engagement, including awareness and reduction of distractions such as cellphones, which were the most common preventable barrier that we observed," Hutton said.

Children who exhibited greater interest in the narrative showed increased activation in right-sided cerebellar areas of the brain, thought to support cognitive skill acquisition and refinement via connection to language, association and executive function areas.

Inputs from IANS