The Formative Effects of Reading on the Socio-Emotional Development of Primary School Children

Abstract

This article investigates the formative effects of active and conscious reading on the socio-emotional development of young students. Building on a theoretical framework that articulates the links between literature, developmental neurobiology, and emotional intelligence, the study analyzes how structured reading activities influence the socio-emotional competencies of 10- to 11-year-old students. An experimental research design was implemented over approximately three months with seven fourth-grade students. Data collection included a pre-test, reading sessions based on therapeutic stories, a reading journal, a behavioral observation grid, and a post-test. The study concludes that sustained and reflective reading constitutes an effective pedagogical tool for the development of emotional literacy in early childhood education.