Shared reading aloud fosters intelligence: Three cluster-randomized control trials in elementary and middle school

Abstract

Storytelling played a crucial role in human evolution. To this day, through stories humans gain declarative and procedural knowledge, and learn the skills that support learning itself. Research shows that reading stories to children enhances their reading and language skills. Does it also enhance their intelligence? To answer this question, we conducted three (N = 626, 254, 195) longitudinal, cluster-randomized control trials in Italian elementary and middle schools. Over a 4-month period, for half of the participants 1 h/day of standard, active language instructional activities were substituted with reading-aloud of stories by a teacher. Compared to those who kept doing language instructional activities, read-aloud condition children showed a stronger increase on two measures of intelligence focusing on knowing things and thinking skills. This result, which emerged in three independent trials conducted in different regions of Italy, suggests avenues for easily scalable interventions to improve children's intelligence.