Illustrated story books are better for kids' brains than video or text, study finds.
This is the headline in a CBC story. Robert Munsch books were used to find out how children's brains respond to different media.
- audio only
- picture with audio
- animated cartoon
- animated cartoon
Researchers at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital say that the picture book is best. They used 27 children ages three to five, that had not been to school, an even mix of boys and girls. They used FMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to see changes in blood flow through the brain.
The results were given in a Goldilocks effect-:
- the audio only was too cold (children can't visualize what they aren't familiar with)
- the animated cartoon was too hot (too much going on)
- the picture book with audio was just right ( a balance of visual and auditory)
When you read to children, they are able to start with the story and then bring their imagination into the story, which brings the story to life in their mind. All parts of the brain are used in equal measures.
I have always been a fan of Dr. Seuss for very young children. They love the rhythm and rhyme of the language.
The results were given in a Goldilocks effect-:
- the audio only was too cold (children can't visualize what they aren't familiar with)
- the animated cartoon was too hot (too much going on)
- the picture book with audio was just right ( a balance of visual and auditory)
When you read to children, they are able to start with the story and then bring their imagination into the story, which brings the story to life in their mind. All parts of the brain are used in equal measures.
I have always been a fan of Dr. Seuss for very young children. They love the rhythm and rhyme of the language.
And then Robert Munsch further develops their love of words with more story content.
Aren't children's authors great?
Perhaps I should take a week and just read picture books. There are so many great ones!
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