The Matthew Effect

Educators are always discussing the critical role of vocabulary acquisition for literacy. It is well documented that reading 20 minutes a day is the most effective way for children to increase their vocabulary. As afar back as 1990, Keith Stanovich described something called the Matthew Effect. It is based on the passage of Matthew (25:29) in the New Testament: "For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath." In other words, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Stanovich used the term to describe the phenomenon that early success in acquiring reading skills usually leads to later successes in reading, while failing to learn to read before third grade often leads to lifelong learning problems.