What exactly do human beings get from reading books? Is it just a matter of pleasure, or are there benefits beyond enjoyment? The scientific answer is a resounding “yes.”

Reading books benefits both your physical and mental health, and those benefits can last a lifetime. They begin in early childhood and continue through the senior years. Here’s a brief explanation of how reading books can change your brain — and your body — for the better.

Full article: https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books

How do children learn to read?

For almost a century, researchers have argued over the question. Most of the disagreement has centered on the very beginning stages of the reading process, when young children are first starting to figure out how to decipher words on a page.

Full article: https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/how-do-kids-learn-to-read-what-the-science-says/2019/10

But there is one dimension of being a mom where the research beautifully matches my experience in the trenches – something stunningly simple, where the return on investment is undeniably good for my kids and good for me:

I read to them.

Full article: https://www.pbs.org/parents/thrive/why-reading-aloud-to-kids-helps-them-thrive