--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As work in neurosciences indicates, the…" description: "\"As work in neurosciences indicates, the acquisition of literacy necessitated a new circuit in our species' brain more than 6,000 years ago. That circui..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/184/maryanne-wolf-10802_brain_as-work-in-neurosciences-indicates-the-a_2115221.jpg" --- # As work in neurosciences indicates, the acquisition of… ![“As work in neurosciences indicates, the acquisition of literacy necessitated a new circuit in our species' brain more than 6,000 years ago. That circuit evolved from a very simple mechanism for decoding basic information, like the number of goats in one's herd, to the present, highly elaborated…” quote by Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/184/maryanne-wolf-10802_brain_as-work-in-neurosciences-indicates-the-a_2115221.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/184/maryanne-wolf-10802_brain_as-work-in-neurosciences-indicates-the-a_2115221.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/184/maryanne-wolf-10802_brain_as-work-in-neurosciences-indicates-the-a_2115221.jpg) > “As work in neurosciences indicates, the acquisition of literacy necessitated a new circuit in our species' brain more than 6,000 years ago. That circuit evolved from a very simple mechanism for decoding basic information, like the number of goats in one's herd, to the present, highly elaborated reading brain.” [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Literacy required a new brain circuit that evolved from simple counting to complex reading abilities. **In simple terms:** Reading reshaped our brains over millennia. Key Takeaway Recognize reading as a brain‑changing skill. Themes neuroscience language evolution education Mood curious analytical Type scientific educational When to use this quote - teaching reading - digital literacy - neuroeducation - cultural transmission Key Concepts cognitive development neuroplasticity symbolic processing Questions to Reflect On - How does modern technology affect reading circuits? - Can literacy be taught later in life? A Different Perspective Complex brain changes may differ across individuals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Literacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literacy/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [Bonobos don't really have that darker side. 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It is a very hopeful principle when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/there-s-an-old-rule-in-neuroscience-that-does-not-alter-with-age-use/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [I am an apologist for the reading brain. It represents a miracle that springs from the brain's unique capacity to rearrange itself to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/i-am-an-apologist-for-the-reading-brain-it-represents-a-miracle-that/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [The attention span of children may be one of the main reasons why an immersion in on-screen reading is so engaging, and it may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-attention-span-of-children-may-be-one-of-the-main-reasons-why-an/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [“Finally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/finally-from-so-little-sleeping-and-so-much-reading-his-brain-dried/) [Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes-saavedra/) > [“Reading is listening to the dead with our eyes. (page 325, Reading in the Brain, Stanislas Dehaene, 2009)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francisco-de-quevedo/reading-is-listening-to-the-dead-with-our-eyes-page-325-reading-in/) [Francisco de Quevedo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francisco-de-quevedo/) > [“Books can be viewed as food for the mind Stop reading and your brain can become anemic Read junk and your thinking can become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-frakes/books-can-be-viewed-as-food-for-the-mind-stop-reading-and-your-brain/) [Jonathan Frakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-frakes/) > [I can be a bit of a science geek. I tend more towards reading about brain science, neuroscience. I was an English major, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mapother/i-can-be-a-bit-of-a-science-geek-i-tend-more-towards-reading-about-2/) [William Mapother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mapother/) > [“come on whats wrong with reading fill it in your brain”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lam/come-on-whats-wrong-with-reading-fill-it-in-your-brain/) [Jeremy Lam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lam/) > [We humans invented literacy, which means it doesn't come for free with our genes like speech and vision. Every brain has to learn it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/we-humans-invented-literacy-which-means-it-doesn-t-come-for-free-with/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [I spend a lot of time going over old conversation summaries. 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Reading is about not being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/there-s-a-richness-that-reading-gives-you-an-opportunity-to-probe/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [Skimming has led, I believe, to a tendency to go to the sources that seem the simplest, most reduced, most familiar, and least cognitively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/skimming-has-led-i-believe-to-a-tendency-to-go-to-the-sources-that/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [The brain is constantly adapting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-brain-is-constantly-adapting/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [We humans invented literacy, which means it doesn't come for free with our genes like speech and vision. 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It represents a miracle that springs from the brain's unique capacity to rearrange itself to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/i-am-an-apologist-for-the-reading-brain-it-represents-a-miracle-that/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [We human beings were never born to read; we invented reading and then had to teach it to every new generation. Each new reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/we-human-beings-were-never-born-to-read-we-invented-reading-and-then/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [When we have any function, whether it's language or vision or cognitive functions like memory, we aren't dealing with a straight line to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/when-we-have-any-function-whether-it-s-language-or-vision-or/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [Every opportunity to practice is a gift to the developing reader. Practice, practice, practice, in every form and medium!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/every-opportunity-to-practice-is-a-gift-to-the-developing-reader/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [Each young reader has to fashion an entirely new 'reading circuit' afresh every time. There is no one neat circuit just waiting to unfold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/each-young-reader-has-to-fashion-an-entirely-new-reading-circuit/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) [Explore all 63 Maryanne Wolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) ## More Brain quotes > [The brain abhors discrepancies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vilayanur-s-ramachandran/the-brain-abhors-discrepancies/) [Vilayanur S. 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