Why Kids Should Read Fiction Books

Peter Malaba

Oct. 18, 2022, 10:07 p.m.


Reading fiction could have a significant impact on how our kids behave in social situations as they get older. One cannot jump to conclusions before trying to comprehend others. It is only via spending time reading fiction that one can learn this talent.

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Reading fiction could have a significant impact on how our kids behave in social situations as they get older. Since they have a more refined sense of patience, which opens the door to a wider knowledge of human variation, children who read literature are more likely to develop into tolerant adults. One cannot jump to conclusions before trying to comprehend others. It is only via spending time reading fiction that one can learn this talent.

Children learn to understand and infer through reading fiction.

There are several significant ways that fiction (and creative non-fiction) differs from non-fiction. One of the most significant is the distinction between fiction and non-fiction in that the former does not necessarily aim to merely present information. In truth, certain works of fiction may intentionally obfuscate information.

Children and adults alike must use their imaginations to fill in the gaps left by a story. How does a character appear? Why is a character acting in a particular way? What might be their driving forces? A type of mental weight-lifting, reading fiction and having to respond to these questions makes children experience significant cognitive improvements over time.

Kids' imaginations grow as a result of reading fiction.

By introducing new concepts into a child's environment, such as concepts about magical realms, other planets, alternate timelines, and fictional characters, stories aid in the development of a child's imagination. The kids will be inspired to understand that they can and should imagine whatever they wish. Stories have the wonderful ability to be both both realistic and fanciful. One minute they can be reading about kids going through exactly the same experiences as they are, and the next they might be reading about a different species, like Martians vacationing on Jupiter.

Reading fiction broadens children's horizons and may have a significant impact on their social behaviour as they get older.

Since they have a more refined sense of patience, which opens the door to a wider knowledge of human variation, children who read literature are more likely to develop into tolerant adults. One cannot jump to conclusions before trying to comprehend others. It is only via spending time reading fiction that one can learn this talent.

Fiction reading fosters creativity.

One of the things that we frequently take for granted is creativity. After all, isn't it a natural talent? Creativity is, in reality, a skill. We must constantly develop our creativity if we want to maintain and improve it, just like any other talent.

Parents can support their children's creativity in a variety of ways. One excellent technique is to encourage them to read fiction (or, in the case of small children, to read it to them). Fiction has a strong potential to stimulate creativity by exposing kids to fresh concepts and viewpoints on the world.

Reading fiction helps kids spend less time online.

Reading fiction could have a significant impact on how our kids behave in social situations as they get older. Since they have a more refined sense of patience, which opens the door to a wider knowledge of human variation, children who read literature are more likely to develop into tolerant adults. One cannot jump to conclusions before trying to comprehend others. It is only via spending time reading fiction that one can learn this talent.

Reading fiction increases our capacity for empathy.

Studies show that a story's ability to challenge stereotypes and alter preconceptions increases with how well and interesting it is. In fact, studies suggest that fiction is more successful than nonfiction at influencing our opinions of those who are different from us.

Why? Because a portion of a child's brain is analytically thinking, weighing the information, and making judgments when they read a book or a news item. When readers are emotionally attracted into a compelling novel, they develop a real empathy for the characters that lasts long after they put the book down. In her book War for Kindness, Stanford psychologist and neuroscientist Jamil Zaki claims that stories "helped our ancestors anticipate other lives, plan for conceivable futures, and agree on cultural standards." They provide assistance in the modern world in a novel way by "flattening our empathetic landscape, making faraway others feel less remote, and making caring for them less onerous."

For children, reading fiction reduces anxiety.

Reading fiction could have a significant impact on how our kids behave in social situations as they get older. Since they have a more refined sense of patience, which opens the door to a wider knowledge of human variation, children who read literature are more likely to develop into tolerant adults. One cannot jump to conclusions before trying to comprehend others. It is only via spending time reading fiction that one can learn this talent.

Reading in general increases vocabulary.

Any good book, whether it's fiction or creative non-fiction, expands vocabulary. As kids read, they perceive words in context and eventually completely internalize both the meaning and appropriate usage of those words.

This is a kind and enjoyable way for them to learn crucial information. Words form the basis of our interactions with other people, and a broad vocabulary facilitates, deepens, and enhances those interactions.

Reading fiction improves comprehension and problem-solving skills.

Another strong argument in support of why children should read fiction is the ability of "sequencing." A significant component of reading comprehension is sequencing, which is the ability to recognize, arrange, and retell the order in which events occur, such as the start, middle, and finish of a narrative.

Beyond reading, it also significantly contributes to the "step-by-step" of our daily activities, such as morning routines and recipe following. The ability to comprehend and sequence information rationally facilitates problem-solving in a variety of subjects, from algebra to history. It follows that reading, listening to, and discussing stories (as well as narrative nonfiction) are excellent strategies to develop this crucial talent.

Children who read fiction can become more social.

By imparting valuable lessons about life and the functioning of our society and communities, fiction can also aid in the socialization of young people.

They teach their young readers about how people might respond to situations and problems as characters in the books they read ride school buses, eat in cafeterias, and make friends. Reading about the mistakes that fictional characters make might provide readers insight they can use to their own life. There are even higher mental benefits when the content becomes more sophisticated and readers linger over passages, reflecting and pondering their significance long after the book has been put down.

Fictional stories improve reading abilities.

Some literacy study suggests that a reader's skills can vary depending on the variety of what they read. A survey of the reading habits of almost 250,000 teenagers in 35 nations indicated that those who read fiction frequently outperformed those who read it infrequently or never by almost six months.

And even after additional considerations, such as the fact that readers of fiction typically spend more time reading than readers of nonfiction, the "fiction impact" on reading ability persisted. Although there are definitely definite advantages to reading nonfiction, it's wonderful to know that stories can be so effective at fostering strong literacy.

Children can learn languages by reading fiction.

Starting with picture books for the very young and progressing to more sophisticated novels for teenagers, stories are an excellent way to introduce new words and concepts into a child's vocabulary. Children can learn about shape, size, space, and color, as well as up and down, inside and outside, numbers, and the names of various objects, through the use of stories. Additionally, they can educate kids how to do things like prepare meals, take care of animals, clean up after themselves, and wash their teeth.

Stories can also be used to teach more sophisticated concepts like the value of cooperation, the passage of time, and empathy for others. When attempting to explain unpleasant situations like grief and family breakup, they can be helpful.

Children who read fiction that is based on true events benefit from seeing how diverse the world is and how drastically different some people's lives are from their own.

And the best part about learning through stories is how organically the process takes place. They learn from reading the story alone; there is absolutely no teaching involved.

Children who read fiction gain focus.

All reading has this advantage, but it's a significant one to highlight. A youngster must be adept at focusing on the reading job at hand if they are to learn any kind of message or lesson from reading, whether they are reading a novel, short story, poetry, or even a textbook.

Reading is a skill that has to be developed. Children will get more adept at blocking out outside noise and delving deeply into their reading as they read more books; this is a lifelong ability.

Relaxation through reading fiction books

Before going to bed, for instance, reading a fiction book can help you unwind. They enable children to temporarily escape reality and lose themselves in fantasy. A well-known story's comforting familiarity, a picture book's rhyming and repetition, and the sense of security that reading aloud to a youngster can develop are all factors in helping the child unwind.

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