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"The only reason not to reward the best and brightest for their achievements is to avoid punishing the rest for their shortcomings...
Programs for the gifted and acts like NCLB are classic catalysts of what social scientists call the Matthew Effect. Coined by sociologist Robert Merton, the Matthew Effect derives its name from a verse in the New Testament (Matthew 25:29)...and roughly translates to, “Those who are successful are most likely to be given the special opportunities that lead to further success, and those who aren’t successful are most likely to be deprived of them."
This post explores the Matthew Effect in detail, providing the background to be able to understand how this impacts our classrooms today. After the introduction the post is split into three sections:
* How The Labels You Place On Your Students Affects Their Performance
* How Early Experiences Determine A Student's Academic Career
* The Matthew Effect In The System
This section also includes 20 ways you can avoid the Matthew Effect in your classroom. Two are listed below:This final section raises the question of the value of holding students back. The author states "The ideal solution, she proposes, is not holding kids back but collaborating with parents on the creation of an individualized learning plan for each student who needs help reading — a plan that might involve specialized instruction, tutoring, or summer school."
* Abandon the notion that it is the best and brightest who rise effortlessly to the top.
* For every “talented” student you provide with a superior experience, provide a “less talented” student with an opportunity as well.Each point has additional information that provides a more in-depth explanation.As you reflect on your teaching are there students who may fall into the Matthew Effect? Do you have additional ideas that would be helpful to share?