What makes someone a good reader among children? Typically, good vocabulary and memory skills come to mind. But sometimes, being good at reading goes beyond just knowing words. It runs deeper and requires emotional depth. A study published in Learning and Individual Differences revealed that emotional intelligence plays a significant role in how children develop reading skills over time.
Understanding the connections between emotions and reading
Reading benefits from emotional intelligence a lot. As per the findings, children with higher emotional intelligence also performed better in vocabulary and word reading. To put it simply, children become more confident learners with emotional intelligence. When they are calm, they pay better attention, remember words more easily, and understand them better.
So, what is the emotional intelligence that assists reading? Emotional intelligence is the skill to understand emotions, and to recognize and empathize with others.
So, to break it down, children with higher emotional intelligence are better at managing their feelings, meaning they are calm and don’t give up easily. They can stay focused when they are reading, and when one is emotionally in control, the brain works better by default. Remembering new words and understanding happen seamlessly then.
This is why parents need to focus on nurturing emotional intelligence among kids. It not only benefits their mental health but also essential life skills like reading.
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Emotional skills matter as per background
The study, apart from emotional intelligence, also looked into family background and whether it affects reading. It turns out that children from low-income or less-educated families who displayed emotional intelligence did well in school. Coping with hardships made them emotionally strong, which in turn helped them understand new words and remember them correctly.
Whereas children from wealthier families depended more on traditional reading skills, like vocabulary, since they grew up with more books at home, so their reading skills were primarily shaped by that environment.
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