TMA 1.

1: Reading for Understanding

This Is Why Reading Is So Important for Your Brain
Marc Peyser 15th April 2020

Reading isn’t just filling your head—it’s nourishing it. This is the latest science on the magic
of books.

1. You can take fish oil supplements or eat lots of turmeric. You can invest in a
language class, puzzle books, or a few hours of exercise every week. There are
countless methods to (allegedly) improve your memory and cognitive functioning—
the brain-training and -assessment industry is expected to reach $8 billion by 2022,
according to a major market research report. But the cheapest, easiest, and most
time-tested way to sharpen your brain is right in front of your face. It’s called reading.

2. The fact that reading is good for your brain isn’t surprising—there’s a reason mums
are always on their kids’ cases to turn off the TV and pick up a good book. But
there’s something astounding about how such an ordinary activity can improve your
brain in so many ways.

3. The most basic impact occurs in the area associated with language reception, the left
temporal cortex. Processing written material—from the letters to the words to the
sentences to the stories themselves—snaps the neurons to attention as they start the
work of transmitting all that information. That happens when we process spoken
language, too, but the very nature of reading encourages the brain to work harder
and better. “Typically, when you read, you have more time to think,” says Maryanne
Wolf, EdD, director of the UCLA Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social
Justice. “Reading gives you a unique pause button for comprehension and insight.
By and large, with oral language—when you watch a film or listen to a tape—you
don’t press pause.”

4. And the benefits of reading continue long after you’ve put down that great book. A
small study at Emory University found that some of those benefits persisted for five
days. “We call that a shadow activity, almost like a muscle memory,” says Gregory
Berns, PhD, director of the Center for Neuropolicy at Emory. In fact, this is how
reading in a certain font can improve your memory.

5. What if you are (or someone you know is) a poor, or even a dyslexic, reader who
feels as if you’ll never be able to read enough to reap these benefits? A book can fix
that problem too! Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University studied children aged eight
to ten who were below-average readers. One hundred hours of remedial reading
classes significantly improved the quality of their brains’ white matter—the tissue that
carries signals between areas of gray matter, where information is processed. The
researchers’ conclusion: the brains of these children had begun to rewire themselves
in ways that could benefit the entire brain, not only the reading-centric temporal
cortex.

6. The ability to read closely is something that needs to be nurtured. In her new book,
Reader, Come Home, Wolf notes that even she, as someone who reads for a living,
has found her ability to concentrate on the written word fading as more of what we
read is on a screen. “Unfortunately, this form of reading is rarely continuous,
sustained, or concentrated,” she writes. That sets up a vicious cycle: without the
 sustained exercise of our reading “muscles”, the brain loses its ability to control the
intricate processes that allow us to read deeply.

7. Of course, there’s an easy solution: turn off your phone and your computer, set aside
a good hour or two—and just read.

https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/why-reading-is-important/

Questions

1. Read the title and subheading. What, do you think, is the writer’s likely purpose in
writing this article? Quote a word or phrase to support your answer. (2 marks)

2. Read paragraph 1. Using your own words, explain three ways you can “improve your
memory and cognitive functioning”. (3 marks)

3. Read paragraph 2. Using your own words, explain what the writer finds surprising. (2
marks)

4. Read paragraph 3.

a) Using your own words, explain what happens to your brain when reading. (2
marks)

b) Explain why, according to Maryanne Wolf, reading is better for your brain than
listening. (2 marks)
3
5. Explain how the first sentence of paragraph 4 provides a link between the writer’s
ideas at this point in the passage. (2 marks)

6. Read paragraph 5. Using your own words, explain what researchers at Carnegie
Mellon University discovered. (3 marks)

7. Read paragraph 6. Using your own words, explain why reading from a screen is less
effective than reading from a book. (2 marks)

8. What advice does the writer provide in the final paragraph? Remember to use your
own words. (2 marks)

Total: 20 marks

Now check your answers before uploading for marking and feedback. During busy periods it
may take up to two weeks for your tutor to respond, so you should move on to the next
section whilst awaiting your feedback.

The deadline for submitting TMA 1.1 is 30th September 2022.