How reading changes our brain (for the good!)
I’m excited to share some remarkable recent research about the truly extraordinary power of reading on our brain.
It turns out that the simple act of reading literally changes our brain and makes it stronger! Reading isn’t just about gaining knowledge—it strengthens our memory, improves our thinking skills, and even builds empathy in ways that extend far beyond the story.
And what’s more, those positive changes can linger long after we close the book.
Reading Actually Rewires the Brain
Stories demand focus, memory, and inference-making. This activates multiple brain systems—language, attention, memory, and executive function (Wolf, 2007). Over time, the very process of reading results in a sharper mind, improved problem-solving capabilities, and a stronger capacity to learn and think.
One recent study found that reading a novel increased activity in the brain that was linked to comprehension and to the ability to understand different perspectives (Berns et al., 2013). These changes actually lingered days after the book was finished, showing that stories can leave a lasting “shadow of experience” in the brain, almost as if the readers had lived the experiences themselves.
Reading Stories Builds Empathy
This helps explain why reading develops empathy. Reading a story literally help us step into someone else’s shoes.
When we read, the brain activates the same regions we use to understand real people’s thoughts and emotions. Neuroscientist Raymond Mar (2011) has shown that engaging with narrative fiction consistently activates brain regions tied to social cognition and emotional understanding. In effect, reading becomes a kind of simulator for children for the real-life interactions they will have in their future. Reading helps them “rehearse” the skills of compassion, perspective-taking, and moral reasoning that will benefit them later.
Reading Also Strengthens Cognitive Muscles
An Essential Foundation for Growth in Life
When we read deeply, we’re not only absorbing information—we are rewiring our brain’s networks for learning, social understanding, and even self-reflection. In children, this provides an essential foundation for literacy and social-emotional growth.
So, when you encourage your students to read—even a simple story to start—you are helping them build new connections, strengthen the architecture of their brain, and deepen their ability to connect with others. In a very real way, you are helping to shape who they are and how they understand their world.
That is truly a gift for life!
Cynthia Harrison Barbera
Cynthia Harrison Barbera is President and CEO, StoryWorld International. She served as VP Educational Technology for Scholastic and is the recipient of two US Presidential awards for educational programs. An Emmy-award winner for a television series on education, she has taught English to native-speakers and ELL students in the US and overseas.
References:
- Berns, G. S., Blaine, K., Prietula, M. J., & Pye, B. E. (2013). Short- and long-term effects of a novel on connectivity in the brain. Brain Connectivity, 3(6), 590–600.
- Immordino-Yang, M. H. (2016). Emotions, learning, and the brain: Exploring the educational implications of affective neuroscience. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Mar, R. A. (2011). The neural bases of social cognition and story comprehension. Annual Review of Psychology, 62, 103–134.
- Snow, C. E. (2002). Reading for understanding: Toward an R&D program in reading comprehension. RAND Corporation.
- Speer, N. K., Reynolds, J. R., Swallow, K. M., & Zacks, J. M. (2009). Reading stories activates neural representations of visual and motor experiences. Psychological Science, 20(8), 989–999.
- Wolf, M. (2007). Proust and the squid: The story and science of the reading brain. Harper.