Being Literate in the 21st Century tackles some of the most difficult questions for the next generation around literacy and thought, as we continue to move into a digital culture. It explores research from multiple disciplines on what it means to be literate, and addresses the problem of universal literacy.

• 1: Introduction


• 2: The Linguist's Tale


• 3: A Child's Tale


• 4: A Neuroscientist's Tale of Words


• 5: The Deep Reading Brain


• 6: A Second Revolution in the Brain


• 7: A Literacy Agenda for Non-Literate Children

Maryanne Wolf is the John DiBiaggio Professor of Citizenship and Public Service and Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research, at Tufts University. With her doctoral degree from Harvard University, and two degrees in Literature from Northwestern and St. Marys College/Notre Dame, she is a cognitive neuroscientist who conducts research on the reading brain, dyslexia, and global literacy. Author of over 130 scientific publications, and the recipient of multiple awards for teaching, research, and public service, Wolf wrote Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain, now translated into 13 languages. She and her colleagues are developing digital learning tools to bring literacy to children in poverty around the world.