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What are the good / bad psychological effects for a child if they have a very strong habit of reading books?

  • My 9 years old daughter have a very strong habit of reading books, I had bought her more than 100 different types of books, from a short reading books like comics, novels, to a thick 300+ pages of books like children encyclopedia, etc. She could read the same books for several times if she likes it. I also bought her barbies, cooking toys, some teddy bear dools, but she only play it for a couple of times, then she will not be interested anymore. I assume that she enjoy all the imagination She could get from reading the books (All the books that I bought are books for her age, not some romantic, violent or thriller books for adult). I'm worry if the habit of reading books might have some bad physiological effect for her future. She is a picky one in terms of having friends at her school, but I assume it's still a normal behavior that any 9 years old will do in terms of playing / socializing with friends.

  • Answer:

    As far as I'm aware, there are only positive effects, and I think you're very lucky to have an avid reader! The number of books in a house is one of the best correlates of school performance and life achievement. Books (unlike TV and movies) require active cognition, visualization, memory and imagination, so they are great for building brains. Also, you don't need to regulate her access to disturbing books in quite the same way you would other media. Because reading requires active imagination, kids tend to simply not imagine the bits that they find too disturbing. So reading is a great way for them to safely challenge themselves at the level they need, as well as learning new ideas and morals. There's also a theory that people are happier when they can view their lives as meaningful narratives. Arguably, books can teach you how to do this. If you think your daughter is trying to escape from social problems by hiding in books, by all means talk to her about that. Try to make her feel safe in real life as well -- don't take away the refuge she has found. But it sounds like there's nothing to worry about -- she's just an intelligent, creative introvert.

Suzanne Sadedin at Quora Visit the source

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She may simply have an introverted personality and prefer her own company or friends in small numbers. I was an avid reader from her age and still am. I can't tell you the profit and pleasure I have gained from my 'habit'. Just encourage her to balance her reading with other healthy activities on occasion.

Barbara Carleton

I guess that depends on the type of books they read. This will affect their thinking and the values they choose to respect. They could get into the habit of critically analyzing everything (that includes what a parent says or does, among everything else). They may start weighing the pros and cons of almost everything. They could start proofreading a lot, not necessarily bringing into context the essence of the story if it's not a well written one. They could also start being much more creative and confident. They will, however, want their worth in terms of attention. These children could have much more to contribute to the world, though, hence they need proper guidance.They are potential DOERS if provided opportunities, given that they see the cause as noteworthy.

Ayesha Zahir

Nurture this child! Give her more books to read, but lean away from fiction, where you can. You have a learner on your hands and they are few and far between. Let her learn Emotional Freedom Techniques here: http://www.wikihow.com/Use-the-Emotional-Freedom-Technique-%28EFT%29 and from the many videos on YouTube. With this, your daughter will be able to correct any introversion she may have and become outgoing and self-assured and be very knowledgeable about everything that attracts her interest.

Keith Taylor

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