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Ideal number of hours a child should read each week identified by University of Cambridge researchers




A study of more than 10,000 children has found that children who begin reading for pleasure early in life tend to perform better at cognitive tests and have better mental health when they enter adolescence.

Twelve hours a week reading is the optimal amount, and can be linked to improved brain structure, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge and their collaborators at Warwick and Fudan University in China.

Up to 12 hours reading a week can help improve adolescent cognitive performance
Up to 12 hours reading a week can help improve adolescent cognitive performance

Unlike listening and spoken language, which easily and rapidly develop, reading is a taught skill.

In childhood and adolescence, our brains develop and we can establish behaviours that support cognitive development and promote good brain health.

The researchers examined data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) cohort in the US, which recruited more than 10,000 young adolescents. They looked at data from clinical interviews, cognitive tests, mental and behavioural assessments and brain scans, comparing young people who began reading for pleasure between two and nine years old against those who began doing so later or not at all.

Important factors, including socio-economic status, were taken into account.

They found 48 per cent had little experience of reading for pleasure or did not begin doing so until later in their childhood, while the rest spent read for pleasure between three and ten years.

A strong link was found between reading for pleasure at an early age and a positive performance in adolescence on cognitive tests that measured factors such as verbal learning, memory and speech development, and at school academic achievement.

These children also had better mental wellbeing, showing fewer signs of stress and depression, improved attention and fewer behavioural problems such as aggression and rule-breaking.

Children who began reading for pleasure earlier also tended to spend less time watching TV or using their smartphone or tablet during the week and at weekends in their adolescence, and tended to sleep longer.

Brain scans showed those participants who had taken to reading for pleasure at an early age showed moderately larger total brain areas and volumes, including in particular brain regions that play critical roles in cognitive functions.

Other brain regions that were different in the group included those previously shown to relate to improved mental health, behaviour and attention.

Prof Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge said: “Reading isn’t just a pleasurable experience – it’s widely accepted that it inspires thinking and creativity, increases empathy and reduces stress. But on top of this, we found significant evidence that it’s linked to important developmental factors in children, improving their cognition, mental health, and brain structure, which are cornerstones for future learning and well-being.”

Beyond about 12 hours per week, there appeared to be no additional benefits. In fact, there was a gradual decrease in cognition according to the study, published in Pyschological Medicine.

This may suggest those children were more sedentary and spent less time at other activities that could be cognitively enriching, including sports and social activities.

Prof Jianfeng Feng, from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, and the University of Warwick, UK, said: “We encourage parents to do their best to awaken the joy of reading in their children at an early age. Done right, this will not only give them pleasure and enjoyment, but will also help their development and encourage long-term reading habits, which may also prove beneficial into adult life.”



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