![]() When we're reading, we have the freedom to pause, absorb, and understand before continuing. But when I'm reading a book, I can recall passages and individual scenes much more vividly, thanks to the way my brain is forced to put together an image from the words on the page. After I finished binge-watching Gossip Girl (again), I realised I could barely remember any independent episode plot-lines, beyond the overarching plot (#team Chuck). Pugh talks about how, when we're watching a movie, we're not likely to pause in between each element of information we're fed. Reading also gives us more time to pause between receiving information. This means our neural pathways strengthen between different elements of understanding, and improve the overall capacity of our brains. He goes further to explain that reading a sentence forces our brain to merge our understandings of vision, language and associative learning. Surely a Yale Linguistics professor knows their stuff (plus it's on the Oprah website, so it must be true). ![]() Ken Pugh, PhD and Director of Research at Haskins Laboratories (Yale). Each character has their own nuances, backgrounds and history to follow and you have to remember these as they inevitably influence the story.īut don't take my word for it, take a language experts': "A sentence is shorthand for a lot of information that must be inferred by the brain". In a novel, you've got countless characters and plot-points to keep track of. You're able to do this because you are analysing the evidence given to you throughout the book so far, and working out the old prefrontal cortex.Įvery time you learn something, you strengthen your brain's ability to retain and recall information.Īnd learning is truly endless when you are reading a book. Next time you pick up an Agatha Christie, you might find yourself starting to guess at the culprit. ![]() Reading enhances your ability to be open-minded, and use judgment to process what you're reading and learning. Being able to relate to characters, and understand their motivations and decisions means you have empathised with them, building emotional intelligence.īy following the plot of a novel, you are also strengthening critical thinking and analytical skills. You're fully inside someone else's thoughts, feelings, and environment. When you're reading a fictional story, you are inside the world of the characters in the novel. However, reading fiction can make you smarter as well, in more ways than one. ![]() And so it goes millions of books for millions of topics. Interested in Ancient Greece? Great, there are a million books about Ancient Greece. Want to learn about dinosaurs? Great, there are a million books about dinosaurs. Not only does reading increase your vocabulary, but it exposes you to knowledge.Īnd you can cater this learning to exactly what you want to learn about. I regularly come across words I've never heard before, and need to take a moment to either figure it out by the context, or find it in a Dictionary (dot com). Exposing your brain to books means you are improving your communication skills by learning new ways to describe things, and adding to your vocabulary. Reading is a great way to stimulate different elements of the brain, keeping it active and healthy. Now, the neuroscience behind Brain Training is hotly debated, but the principle is widely accepted: stimulating your brain prevents mental ageing, and helps you live longer. Completing seemingly pointless lateral thinking minigames in order to get the elusive brain 'age' of 20. Kawashima's Brain Training on the Nintendo DS. Yarno's all about learning, I was bound to make it number one. It makes you smarter (and helps you live longer!) Yes, moving is a nightmare.)īut, no matter the medium you're using reading is still cool, and I'm going to give you three reasons why:ġ. (That being said, the fortnightly Angus&Robertson deliveries keep the bookshelf looking fresh. My love of physical books has been replaced with a love of reading itself, and my trusty Kindle is (data) heavy with the amount of books I download onto it weekly. The advent of e-readers and the slow fade-out of print media makes media consumption a completely different experience. Anyway reading looks a little different now.
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