Introduction: with the increase in the population within the category of older adults, it is necessary to search for new strategies that ensure healthy aging. This study aims to analyze the relationship between reading comprehension and cognitive reserve in older people, and the degree of cognitive decline. Method: the PRISMA-ScR criteria were applied to the articles available in the PubMed and Scopus databases, resulting from the use of the search algorithm [“Reserve Cognitive” AND “Language” AND “Reading”] published between 2019 and 2024. Results: from the 8 selected articles, evidence was found that indicated that there is a positive association between cognitive reserve and reading comprehension in older adults. Conclusions: reading comprehension plays a fundamental role in the cognitive reserve of older adults, which allows them to solve complex tasks and acts as a protective factor against deterioration due to aging.