June 9, 2022

June 9, 2022

4 Surprising Ways Reading Can Affect Social Development

Reading is usually looked at as a solitary activity. When most people read, they do so alone – so it’s hard to see reading as a way to help children with their social skills! However, reading is more than just a brain-friendly pastime for a child. Aside from improving their reading and comprehension skills, diving into books can help with several other key areas of development.
For example, reading can help children develop better language skills through improving their vocabulary. It can also spark creativity as they picture scenes within their minds, especially if they are reading books without pictures. And, perhaps most surprisingly, reading can help children develop socially! Read on to learn some ways reading can affect social development in kids.

Can reading make you more social?
Research suggests that even though reading is typically done alone, it can actually improve social skills. This is especially true if children focus solely on reading fiction books. Fiction takes children through the stories of various characters, bringing them into the lives and minds of people other than themselves.

This type of activity stimulates the part of the brain that controls empathetic feelings as well as imagination. Because empathy is such a huge part of social development, the simple act of reading can enhance a child’s ability to connect with others.

Does reading improve social skills?
As mentioned above, reading does help children improve their social skills. As adults, reading can also bring people and communities together – think of book clubs and online groups dedicated to reading. Similarly for children, talking with peers who have read the same stories provides them with a deeper and more meaningful connection to others, which in turn helps them develop stronger social skills and relationships.

Non-fiction books can also develop social skills in children. Reading about real people’s lives, journeys, and perspectives can increase their empathy and understanding, as well as helping them figure out more about who they are themselves. As children develop a stronger understanding of themselves and others, they are more likely to be open to and strive for social connection.

Certain books may also give children a better idea of what’s socially acceptable and what’s not, which can greatly impact how they behave in everyday social settings. Social relationships rely heavily on a person’s social skills, and reading can help those skills become sharper.

How does reading help social development?
There are various other ways that reading can help your child in their social development.

1. Improves ability to come up with conversation ideas
Reading gives children something to talk about with others in their community. Books provide the opportunity to learn about new perspectives and views of the world to which they may not otherwise have been exposed. These new perceptions of others can help them develop better conversation skills, prompting thoughtful discussions about the world around them.

For example, if your child reads a book that explores themes of animal welfare, they will likely develop ideas of their own regarding the safety of animals and will be able to bring them up in meaningful conversations with their peers. 

2. Enhances social problem-solving
Fiction books typically follow groups of characters who interact socially in various ways. This provides children with examples of social settings that they can learn from, including scenarios that involve problem-solving.

For example, reading about a conflict between two characters can help them analyze how the characters handle this situation and determine what to do (or what not do) if they ever encounter a similar situation themselves. By experiencing different problem scenarios through fiction, children are prompted to think about how they might react if they were in that situation.

3. Increases empathy
As mentioned above, reading helps children learn empathy, which is a cornerstone of positive and meaningful social interactions. When a child is reading fictional or non-fiction accounts of people’s lives, they are essentially experiencing the world through another person’s perspective. They are given the unique opportunity to step into someone else’s shoes and experience their feelings and thoughts in a way that allows them to understand others on a deeper level.

Books that center around first-person accounts are the most likely to bring a child into the mind of another person. Whether that person is real or fictional doesn’t matter, as long as the child can connect to them in a way that provides them with the tools they need to truly empathize with others.

4. Improves concentration and patience
Reading is known to improve both patience and concentration – two skills that are necessary in social interaction. Consider what a good conversation looks like: as one person is talking, the other is concentrating effectively, listening to what’s being said, and patiently waiting for their turn to weigh in on the topic. 

Reading of any kind is a fun and effective way to improve many skills, including those that are key to a child’s social development.

 

Featured image by Mael BALLAND on Unsplash