I watched a Nova program yesterday about the invention of alphabets.  It all began with pictures.  Hieroglyphics.  Then, the words for things--such as bear, bird, branch, started representing the "B" sound and things were spelled out using those images for that sound to make words that didn't have an image--such as "bought."

Then, paper--on which to write.  Then Parchment, (skin).  Inks... on and on.  Finally in 1455, Gutenburg made his printing press with movable type.  Before that, only very rich people could afford a book.  Reading was a luxury. People didn't read because they couldn't afford it. So why learn? 

I remember when newspapers used movable type.  They had wooden boxes to hold the letters they used.  It was slow, but it allowed multiple copies.  Then manual typewriters.  My Mac is like a miracle.  

The year I started first grade, every desk had an ink well.  I learned to write with a pen and ink.  The pen tips broke, and had to be replaced by putting a new metal tip in a wooden stick-thing.  Ink was spilled all the time.  And if you sat in front of a boy, he thought it was funny to dip the ends of your long hair in his ink well. (It wasn't funny.  You couldn't wash it out.)  Ball point pens were a thing of the far distant future.  We had pencils.  Huge diameter with big lead.  Which made all writing smushy and wide.  Ugly.  Yellow pencils with small tips came later.  I remember it all.