In education, we often talk about the importance of reading as it relates to a score or number: Are Maine students ahead or behind national averages, do our students read at a certain “grade level” — or not? But what if we looked at reading not as something to be merely quantified as “below” or “above” some metric, but by the value it provides and the tangible and intangible benefits it offers?

We can start with the obvious benefits.

Reading improves vocabulary. The more students, of all ages, who read, the more new words they learn. The value of an expanded vocabulary includes improved writing skills, enhanced understanding and comprehension, and increased knowledge. That’s the “academic stuff.”

There are also many softer benefits to reading. For example, reading:

Improves concentration: At a time when kids spend more waking moments than we’d like to admit scrolling through 5-10-second video clips of songs, cute puppies and kittens, or talking parrots, reading a book can help improve concentration and focus. Reading also improves memory when students are asked to talk about what they have read.

Teaches empathy: When students read about characters in books who face adversity or overcome challenges, it taps into their own emotional responses to real-life situations, fostering empathy. It also helps readers better relate to others who are different from themselves or to understand complex social issues and injustices faced by groups they have never encountered in their own communities.

Reduces stress: In a world filled with academic and social pressures, reading not only provides a mental break from daily stressors, according to research from the University of Minnesota, but it can also lower your heart rate, ease muscle tension and reduce stress by up to 68%. Additionally, a study from the University of Sussex found that reading is more effective than listening to music or drinking hot tea.

For parents and families trying to reduce screen time and exposure to blue light before bedtime, reading is the perfect alternative, as a stress reliever, a calming influence and a distraction from the day’s worries.

As we head into summer, I encourage you to help the students in your lives find books they want to read. Worry more about the joy of reading and less about reading test scores. When we all read more — students and adults alike — we get better at it naturally.

Curtis Memorial Library is a great resource. It offers a cool summer reading program for all ages, from kindergarten through grade 5 — readers and pre-readers are welcome. Children entering grades 6 and above are invited to play the Teen Summer Reading Game.

Phillip Potenziano is superintendent of Brunswick schools.