MatthewEffectNeedToReadMore
From LiteracyTentWiki
Adults plateau at GE 2 or 3 because of the "Matthew Effect"
Add your insights to support or refute this hypothesis
The Matthew Effect (Stanovich) is based on the concept from the Bible that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. People who read more, get better at reading; also children who come from homes where they are read to gain faster and better in the reading classrooms. The gap broadens during early reading instruction as those rich in literacy gain exponentially by comparison to those poor in literacy.
On Nov 30, 2004, at 4:20 PM, Virginia Tardaewether wrote:
There are some similarities in the adult non-readers that I have known.
1) Their families did not read at home.
2) They were expected to learn to read like everyone else in elementary school so if that method of choice at that time didn't work for them, there were no options available.
3) They sat in the back of the class and could not hear what the teacher said sometimes this was due to poor hearing, loud school noises, being of "other" races or "classes", having clothes that smelled, etc.
4) They were allowed to leave school by age 9 to 12 (3rd or 5th grade). Somehow the system didn't track them down or wonder where they were. No one noticed they were no longer in school, or at least didn't get them enrolled.
5) They all joined the work force at young ages.
6) They had someone who supported/hide their literacy as an adult (read things and filled out forms for them, signed their name.)
7) Their families moved and didn't enroll them in the new neighborhood school.
VA
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