Brain scans are showing brain communication areas light up when a child reads picture books.
Young readers of physical picture books experience neurological benefits that surpass audio books and digital animated stories. [1]
In the article, What’s Going On In Your Child’s Brain When You Read Them A Story?, Dr. Hutton performed a study of children’s neural communication networks using MRI imaging. The study followed three groups of children around the age of four: children listening to audiobooks, children listening to audio while following along with a picture book, and children watching animated stories. Findings from the varied approaches demonstrated what is known as the “Goldilocks effect”. Audiobooks only did not stimulate the communication centers and were considered too cold. Animated stories did all the work and imagination for the student and thus were too hot and did not elevate the communication centers. Picture books that had both audio and illustrations were just right, showing elevated brain communication connections.
“Illustrated format provides visual scaffolding that assists the language network and encourages active imagery and self-reflection in young children.”
The study which was discussed in this article, New Studies Measure Screen-based Media in Children, concluded, “Illustrated format provides visual scaffolding that assists the language network and encourages active imagery and self-reflection in young children, while animation may inhibit such network integration in favor of continuous audio-visual perception.”
“…many parents quit reading to their child in the 6 to 8 year old age range.”
The above mentioned study was on the pre-K crowd. Dr. Hutton has also been quoted and runs a foundation that advocates that reading 15 minutes per day with your child has great benefits through age 8. He mentions in this article, Reading to kids for 15 minutes makes a difference in development, that many parents quit reading to their child in the 6 to 8 year old age range. Dr. Hutton recommends continuing to read with 6-8 year olds because the benefits are substantial.
Many of us knew this all along, picture books are rich with benefits for children.
I have seen on a daily basis, that reading books and looking at the illustrations opens up the imagination of students. Discussing the story along with the illustrations with enriches the child’s enjoyment and understanding.
Some of our favorite picture books are:
If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen
Don’t Let Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51281/whats-going-on-in-your-childs-brain-when-you-read-them-a-story