FUKUSHIMA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
2018 Volume 64 Issue 3 Pages 125-132
Effects of storytelling on the childhood brain: near-infrared spectroscopic comparison with the effects of picture-book reading
Miyuki Yabe, Sachie Oshima, Satoshi Eifuku, Masato Taira, Kazuto Kobayashi, Hirooki Yabe, Sin-ichi Niwa
In children, storytelling provides many psychological and educational benefits, such as enhanced imagination to help visualize spoken words, improved vocabulary, and more refined communication skills. However, the brain mechanisms underlying the effects of storytelling on children are not clear.
The results indicated more sustained brain activation to storytelling in comparison with picture-book reading, suggesting possible advantages of storytelling as a psychological and educational medium in children.