Your Childhood Reading Habit Could Be Giving Your Adult Brain a Boost!

Remember when our biggest childhood problem was finishing a book before the library wanted it back?

Turns out, all those hours spent reading The Babysitters Club, Goosebumps and Sweet Valley High might have done more than keep us entertained.

Research suggests that children who develop a love of reading early in life may enjoy better mental health, stronger memory, and improved brain function as they grow older.

And unlike most of our childhood hobbies, this one didn't involve questionable safety equipment or drinking from a garden hose.

RELATED: A Whole Town Formed a Human Chain to Move 9,000+ Books — One by One

Reading for Fun Could Be Good for Your Brain

Researchers examined data from thousands of young people in the United States, comparing those who started reading for pleasure between ages two and nine with children who started later or rarely read for fun.

The early readers tended to perform better in several areas, including:

• Memory and learning
• Language and speech development
• Academic performance
• Attention and concentration
• Mental well-being

They also showed fewer signs of stress, depression and behavioural problems.

And here's a bonus parents will appreciate: Kids who loved reading also tended to spend less time on screens and get more sleep.

How Much Reading Is Enough?

Researchers found that around 12 hours of reading for pleasure per week was associated with particularly strong cognitive benefits.

Brain scans also revealed differences in regions involved in learning, attention and mental health among children who developed the habit early.

One important detail: the study, published in 2023, examined more than 10,000 young adolescents, not 100,000. It found associations rather than proving that reading alone caused all the benefits. 

The takeaway?

Encouraging your kids to pick up a book could be one of the simplest ways to support their developing brains.

And if you're an adult who hasn't opened a book since high school English class, there's no reason you can't rediscover the joy of reading.

Just remember, scrolling through 47 Facebook comments about why someone hates the new Costco parking lot probably doesn't count.