Idaho Statesman Logo

Drs. Oz & Roizen: Reading is brain food for kids | Idaho Statesman

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Boise
    • West Ada
    • Canyon County
    • Crime
    • State News
    • Nation/World News
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Idahoans in the Military
    • Weather
    • Traffic
    • Helping Works
    • In the Classroom
    • Our Community
    • Sports
    • Boise State Football
    • Boise State Basketball
    • Idaho Vandals
    • High Schools
    • Bronco Beat
    • Chadd Cripe
    • Varsity Extra Blog
    • NFL
    • NBA
    • NHL
    • MLB
    • Golf
    • Idaho Politics
    • Elections
    • Government and Business
    • Capitol & State
    • Letters from the West
    • National Politics
    • Business
    • Business Insider
    • Business Columns & Blogs
    • Personal Finance
    • Legal Notices
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Bill Manny
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Guest Opinion
    • Submit a Letter or Opinion
    • Entertainment
    • Events Calendar
    • Restaurant Reviews
    • Arts and Culture
    • Festivals
    • Movie Reviews
    • Movie Showtimes
    • Music
    • Television
    • Books
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Puzzles
    • Words & Deeds
    • ArtsBeat
    • Outdoors
    • Playing Outdoors Blog
    • Biking
    • Camping
    • Fishing
    • Hiking and Trails
    • Hunting
    • Winter Recreation
    • Living
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Treasure
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Best of Treasure Valley
    • Heart of the Treasure Valley
    • Margaret Lauterbach
    • Tim Woodward
    • Carolyn Hax
  • Obituaries

  • Contests
  • Advertise
  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Health & Medicine

Drs. Oz & Roizen: Reading is brain food for kids

By Mehmet Oz & Mike Roizen - Health Advice

    ORDER REPRINT →

May 25, 2015 10:26 PM

From “Counting Kisses” to “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” and from “The Cat in the Hat” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” the books that were read to you as a child have a special place in your memories. But there’s more to snuggling up on Mom or Dad’s lap while he or she reads to you than you may realize. Being read to expands a child’s imagination, vocabulary and ability to understand abstract concepts. It actually helps the brain grow, and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center has the MRIs to prove it.

They scanned the brains of 19 3- to 5-year-olds and found that those children whose parents read to them often had much more active and developed areas of the brain where you comprehend language and create mental images. That development allows an easy transition from picture books to text-based books.

It’s well-documented that a young child’s mental development increases the more parents talk to him or her. Kids need to hear words (not baby talk) and be spoken to directly from the very beginning of life. By 18 months, kids who are not spoken to very often are already falling behind in verbal skills. So talk to your children; read to them and make up stories together. And if you don’t have a handy supply of kids’ books, ask friends to share the books their children have outgrown; go online to magickeys.com/books for free books; and check out children’s reading events at local bookstores and libraries.

Mehmet Oz, M.D., is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer and chair of the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit sharecare.com.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

  Comments  

Videos

St. Luke’s partners with American Heart Association to raise awareness by giving babies born in February red beanies

Getting vaccinated can help stop measles from spreading

View More Video

Trending Stories

Perfection spoiled: Eagle knocks off undefeated team for first girls basketball title

February 16, 2019 10:38 PM

This employee worried ITD’s radiation tools were missing. Then he got fired. Now, he’s suing

February 17, 2019 01:00 AM

Man in custody after breaking into home, brandishing handgun, fleeing into Kuna desert

February 17, 2019 07:05 PM

53rd straight win gives Soda Springs another championship; District Three struggles

February 16, 2019 12:16 PM

University of Idaho football player sidelined with kidney cancer

February 16, 2019 12:22 AM

Read Next

Philippines says 136 people have died in measles outbreak

Nation & World

Philippines says 136 people have died in measles outbreak

The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 18, 2019 07:26 AM

The Philippine health secretary says 136 people, mostly children, have died of measles and 8,400 others have been sickened in an outbreak blamed partly on recent vaccination fears.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Idaho Statesman

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE HEALTH & MEDICINE

Health & Medicine

Slow start, but it’s not over yet: 5 things to know about this year’s flu season

February 18, 2019 01:00 AM

Health & Medicine

Terror suspect to be sent for mental health treatment

February 18, 2019 06:25 AM

Health & Medicine

Study: High-fat Western diet could increase risk, severity of sepsis

February 18, 2019 01:00 AM

Health & Medicine

A 9-year-old’s brain tumor left her paralyzed. After a Hopkins trial, doctors are using the word ‘cure.’

February 18, 2019 01:00 AM
China’s leaders want more babies, but local officials resist

Business

China’s leaders want more babies, but local officials resist

February 17, 2019 09:37 PM
Southwestern Washington measles case count grows to 61

Health & Medicine

Southwestern Washington measles case count grows to 61

February 17, 2019 05:57 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Idaho Statesman App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
  • Place an Obituary
  • Today's Circulars
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story