If you are looking christmas giftsmaybe I’ll choose book be the best idea. It is true that this is a very personal gift, requiring knowledge of the tastes of the person to whom it is presented. But if we have a rough idea of what they are, it’s the perfect gift because it’s not just about the book itself. We would give something wonderful benefits of reading.
This, of course, is not about forcing someone who does not want to read. But it is true that, especially in the case childrenif one of your Christmas gifts is a book, it can give them a little extra heart. motivation what they need to start developing a reading habit. Because yes, it’s true that they read in school, but let’s be real: almost no one liked the books they read in school.
If we want children and adults to reap the benefits of reading, it is important that they find something they enjoy. You won’t become smarter or become a better reader by reading the classics. It is also not necessary to know the works of the last 50 Nobel Prize winners in literature. What matters is enjoy readingwhatever topic is chosen. However, if we haven’t yet convinced you to add a few books to your Christmas gifts, we’ll tell you about a few of them. benefits of reading.
The benefits of reading begin with listening to those who read.
When we are small and do not yet know how to read, usually some adult the one who reads us stories, usually before bed. This may seem to provide no more benefit than calming your baby so he can sleep better. However, according to a study published in 2022, the benefits of reading to infants are much broader and can be seen in the long term.
In this study, parents of infants attending a clinic were provided with a series of books and asked to read them. one per week. There was also a control group that was not given any reading instruction. After some time, the language abilities of the children were analyzed and it was clear that those who listened to reading 7 books a week developed better speech. from 9 months of age.
It’s your turn to read
The benefits of reading have been known since time immemorial. IN Library of Pharaoh Ramses IIIn Thebes there was an inscription that read: “House of healing of the soul.” The Egyptians already knew that books were not a simple source of information. They benefited those who read them.
These benefits of reading have been studied for many years. We have seen how children benefit from listening to a book they read. But when we read, we get even more benefits. For example, reading is known to help reduce stress. Only 6 minutes silent reading can reduce perceived stress levels by 68%. Relaxation also manifests itself physically through a decrease in heart rate.
It also improves memory, vocabulary and analytical skills. It has even been observed that the progression of dementia and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
In fact, reading is especially useful for elderly people. A study published in 2017, which included 3,635 people of retirement age, found that those who read regularly had 20% lower risk of death in the next 12 years.
And interestingly, these benefits are especially noticeable when reading fiction. Thoughtful essays or informative books are not enough. fiction It can also significantly improve our health. Keep this in mind when giving gifts this Christmas.
reader’s brain
Professor of Phonetics at Lund University Mikael Roll recently published an article for Talk in which he talks about the research he conducted with his research group. He’s got the brains 1000 readers and non-readers looking for the benefits of clearer reading.
These scientists saw that people with good reading skills were particularly strong in two areas of the left hemisphere of the brain: temporal lobe and Heschl’s gyrus.
The first is responsible for linking and categorization. visual, sensory and motor information. As an example, Roll explains that in this area, information about how a leg looks, feels, and moves is grouped together to mentally describe that word.
As for Heschl’s gyrus, this is an area that includes auditory cortex. This is interesting because the reading seems rather visual. However, Roll remembers that when we read, the first thing we do is match the sounds of phonemes to the letters that form them. In fact, when we read, words often resonate in our minds.
These areas were more developed in people with good reading skills. However, Roll remembers that the brain is plastic and these skills can be learned. There is actually a hypothesis known as neuronal recycling hypothesisI bet reading is natural process for a person. Although we didn’t initially need it as a species, over time we have redesigned the neural connections responsible for, for example, recognizing forms in nature. We no longer have the same need to distinguish a poisonous plant from another that it is not, but it is useful for us to distinguish the letters.
The benefits of reading are the best gift for Christmas
The very fact of having reading skills also helps us interpret the world around us and understand other people. Moreover, we cannot leave aside the most important benefits of reading. And if we cultivate it correctly, this habit becomes a great pleasure. If you think about it like that, it’s the perfect Christmas gift.
Source: Hiper Textual
