Reader, Come Home audiobook cover - The Reading Brain in a Digital World

Reader, Come Home

The Reading Brain in a Digital World

Maryanne Wolf

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PsychologyEducation

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Reader, Come Home
Neuroscience of Reading+
The Deep Reading Brain+
Impact of Digital Media+
Childhood Literacy+
The Biliterate Brain+
Wisdom & Contemplation+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9
According to the text, how does the human brain acquire the ability to read?
  • A. It is an innate, hardwired ability similar to how we acquire spoken language.
  • B. It relies on neuroplasticity to create a new network by repurposing functions like vision and language.
  • C. It develops spontaneously as long as a child is exposed to written material before the age of five.
  • D. It is a genetic trait that evolved millions of years ago to help early humans decipher environmental symbols.
Question 2 of 9
What is the relationship between 'deep reading' and empathy, according to the book?
  • A. Deep reading isolates individuals, slightly decreasing their empathy for real-world relationships.
  • B. Deep reading exercises perspective-taking, which enhances our capacity for empathy.
  • C. Deep reading requires logical analysis, which often overrides emotional empathy.
  • D. Deep reading has no significant effect on empathy, as empathy is largely determined by genetics.
Question 3 of 9
What happened when the author, a reading expert, attempted an experiment to reread her favorite book, Hermann Hesse's Magister Ludi?
  • A. She found it much easier to read because of her advanced academic training in neuroscience.
  • B. She realized the book was poorly written and outdated for the modern digital age.
  • C. She initially could not finish it because her deep-reading skills had been severely eroded by her digital habits.
  • D. She read it quickly but failed to retain any of the key narrative details.
Question 4 of 9
Why are children particularly vulnerable to the addictive cycle of digital multitasking?
  • A. Their prefrontal cortexes are underdeveloped, making it hard for them to understand long-term rewards and exercise self-control.
  • B. They have naturally lower levels of cortisol, which makes them constantly crave high-stimulation environments.
  • C. Their brains lack neuroplasticity until they reach adolescence, preventing them from focusing on single tasks.
  • D. They are born with a higher baseline for deep reading that digital media immediately disrupts.
Question 5 of 9
Why is a parent reading to a child considered more beneficial than an app or video reading the same story?
  • A. Apps usually read too fast for children to comprehend the vocabulary and syntax.
  • B. Parents provide physical comfort and emotional associations, and they help guide the child's attention.
  • C. Digital devices emit blue light which prevents the brain from forming memory connections.
  • D. Parents are more likely to choose stories that have higher educational value than those found on apps.
Question 6 of 9
Why does the fourth grade often become a critical sticking point for children's literacy in the United States?
  • A. It is the age when most children are first given their own digital devices, heavily distracting them from schoolwork.
  • B. State standardized testing begins in fourth grade, causing severe test anxiety that hinders reading comprehension.
  • C. Teachers suddenly introduce coding and STEM subjects, taking valuable class time away from reading practice.
  • D. The educational bar is raised, and children are confronted with more challenging material they are expected to read unassisted.
Question 7 of 9
How does Maryanne Wolf suggest we prepare children for the future regarding media consumption?
  • A. We should strictly ban digital devices until children reach high school to protect their developing brains.
  • B. We should transition entirely to digital learning to prepare them for a fast-paced, tech-driven economy.
  • C. We should cultivate a 'biliterate brain' by teaching them to utilize the unique strengths of both print and digital media.
  • D. We should rely primarily on audiobooks to bridge the gap between spoken language and digital text.
Question 8 of 9
According to the text, why is teaching children to code considered a beneficial digital activity?
  • A. It encourages sequential, cause-and-effect thinking, which counters the fragmented habits of unguided digital media use.
  • B. It heavily triggers the brain's novelty bias, keeping children entertained and quiet for longer periods.
  • C. It completely replaces the need for traditional deep reading by teaching them a new, more relevant digital language.
  • D. It allows them to multitask more efficiently across different digital platforms and applications.
Question 9 of 9
Applying Aristotle's model of a good society to readers, what is the ultimate goal of the 'third life' of contemplation?
  • A. To memorize and retain the maximum amount of factual information possible for future productivity.
  • B. To find a permanent escape from the pressures and anxieties of everyday life.
  • C. To translate the knowledge and experiences gained from the other two lives into wisdom.
  • D. To share what we have read with others through digital and real-life social networks.

Reader, Come Home — Full Chapter Overview

Reader, Come Home Summary & Overview

Reader, Come Home (2018) is a meditation on the future of reading in the age of digital revolution and diminishing attention spans. Drawing on the latest neuroscientific research, Maryanne Wolf unpacks the cultural and cognitive dimensions of a technological transformation that’s reshaped our relationship with the written word. At the heart of her investigation is a question whose answer will determine how our societies will look in the future: What will reading mean to our children, a generation which has never known a world without Google, smartphones and e-books?

Who Should Listen to Reader, Come Home?

  • Bibliophiles who wonder why it’s gotten so hard to focus on reading
  • E-readers nostalgic about yesteryear’s paper-and-ink books 
  • Parents worried about their children’s use of digital devices

About the Author: Maryanne Wolf

Maryanne Wolf is the John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University and the co-founder of Curious Learning: A Global Literacy Project. She is the author of more than 160 scientific publications as well as two books on reading, Proust and the Squid and Tales of Literacy for the 21st Century. She is the director of UCLA’s Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners and Social Justice.

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