Not reading books is a quirky trait, not a sign of a twit

If "smarter" means having a larger ... definitions of intelligence (Stanovich, 1989; Sternberg, 1990), then reading may well make people smarter....

The implication is that reading ... deficit (Stanovich, 1988). Studies supporting this view indicate that IQ scores are not correlated with poor reading (Fletcher et al., 1994, Stanovich and Siegel, 1994)....

Reading ability predicts subsequent changes in verbal IQ (VIQ) in teenagers.

(2002) found that variance on a nonverbal reasoning measure in a sample of 2nd- to 6th-grade readers overlapped with that obtained for both a broad measure of literacy skill and sensory thresholds obtained for visual coherent motion and auditory frequency discrimination. Olson and Datta (2002) reported that individual differences in Wechsler (1974) full-scale IQ accounted for most of the shared variance between single-word reading and visual contrast sensitivity in 3rd- through 12th-grade children. These studies confirm the need to control for the effects of IQ to clarify the relation between sensory processing performance and reading.

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The way society determines what is “normal” and “abnormal” and the implications of that distinction have received increased critical attention in recent years. The APA Dictionary of Psychology (American Psychological Association, n.d.) defines normal as “relating to what is considered standard, average, typical, or healthy.” Here we deconstruct the myth of normal reading.

Books have never been trendier, but studies show that as more and more things compete for our frazzled attention spans, we’re reading less and less. This is a problem because reading has a wealth of cognitive benefits that we’re in danger of missing out on.To find out why declining literacy could affect everything from memory to IQ, Madeleine Finlay speaks to the Guardian’s science editor, Ian Sample.

Reading might provide a great way to relax (and stay up well past your bedtime), but books offer more than a pleasant diversion. Evidence increasingly stacks up in support of the idea that reading can enhance intelligence.

Daniel Hajovsky and collaborators have found that children’s reading success depends far more on comprehension, background knowledge and auditory skills than on intelligence or visual processing — a finding that could reshape how schools and parents support young readers.