Researchers from Cambridge University examined data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which follows children from age 9‑10 into early adulthood, to compare early‑reading enthusiasts with peers who started later or never read for enjoyment.
The team divided participants into two groups: those who reported regular pleasure reading before age 10 – roughly 52 % of the sample – and those who began later or not at all, representing 48 % of the cohort.
After adjusting for socioeconomic status and other confounders, early readers performed better on verbal learning, memory and speech‑development tests, and they also achieved higher academic grades during adolescence.
Mental‑health assessments showed that the early‑reading group reported lower levels of stress and depressive symptoms, displayed sharper attention, and exhibited fewer behavioral problems such as aggression and rule‑breaking.
The same adolescents spent less time in front of screens, watched fewer hours of TV, and used smartphones or tablets less frequently on both weekdays and weekends, while also getting more sleep compared with their later‑reading peers.
Magnetic‑resonance imaging revealed that early readers had moderately larger overall brain volumes, including regions known to support cognition, as well as areas previously linked to mental‑health regulation and attentional control.
The researchers identified an optimal “sweet spot” of about 12 hours of pleasure reading per week; benefits plateaued beyond that level and cognitive scores even began to dip, a pattern the authors suggest may reflect reduced time for physical activity or social interaction.
The findings arrive as national surveys show a steady decline in reading for fun among American children: the share of 9‑year‑olds who read daily fell from 53 % in 1984 to 37 % in 2025, while those who rarely or never read rose from 9 % to 17 % over the same period.
“It’s something we ought to be encouraging from an early age given the increasing evidence of its benefits, particularly to children, but really, it’s never too late to start,” said Professor Barbara Sahakian of Cambridge, who led the analysis.
Co‑author Professor Jianfeng Feng added that fostering a love of books can support long‑term development, and Dr. Christelle Langley emphasized that the mental‑health advantages of reading extend into adulthood, linking regular reading to lower stress and greater empathy.