Positive effects of the Matthews Principle 

Dyslexia and the Mathews effect, The More I Read is the more I Grow The more I Read is the more I Know.

Dyslexia, Positive Benefits of Mathews effect. Dyslexics who read and write regularly experience the positive effects of the Matthews Principle. As they become even more successful at reading, vocabulary, comprehension and spelling improve, benefiting overall literacy skills.

“Dyslexia, The More I Read is the more I Grow, The More I Read is the  more I know, The more I Read my Creativity Grows,” “The Art of the Global Thinker”

The Matthews effect, or Matthews principle, can be observed in many aspects of life and fields of activity, including education literacy and dyslexia. The term Matthews effect was coined in 1968 by sociologist, Keith Stanovich.

What is the Matthews effect?

In everyday language the Matthews principle can be expressed in the saying, ‘The rich get richer and the poor get poorer’ – This is an example of the Mathews effect.

In the economy, the Mathews effect describes the widening gap between the rich and the poor.

The Mathews effect says the gap between the rich and poor exists because the rich have a greater capacity to invest their Finances in opportunities to gain more wealth, the poor on the other hand lack the same investment capacity and as a result the poor invest less if at all and as a result, our wealth gap grows, this is the Mathews principle.

The Matthew effect can also be applied to literacy. In education, the”Matthews effect” has been applied to reading differences between readers by Psychologist, Keith Stanovich. Keith Stanovich describes the gap between proficient readers and less proficient readers.

Keith Stanovich says skilled readers who acquire early success in literacy usually continue to develop greater literacy skills as well as greater academic success.

Why is this?

Apart from the fact that skilled readers usually possess initial or innate skills that give them an advantage over students who do not have this innate skill advantage, readers who fall behind in reading continue to read less in comparison to proficient readers. Because less proficient readers read less they fall behind in other subjects because reading is the gateway to other fields of knowledge.

Not reading increases the skill gap between proficient and less proficient readers. Stanovich says that slow literacy acquisition has cognitive, behavioural, and motivational consequences that slow the development of other cognitive skills and inhibit performance on many academic tasks.

Basically, regular readers experience the positive effects of the Matthew principle when they read and write, and adversely less regular readers such as dyslexics experience the negative effects of the Matthew effects when they don’t read and write.

This is why it is important for us not only to teach literacy skills but also to teach literacy habits to dyslexics because good literacy habits will allow the student to benefit long term from the Mathews effect, through the accumulative gains in literacy skills over time as well as the gains resulting from the investment in hobbies and interests.

Gaining the accumulative advantage
Let us look at the positive side of the Mathews effect

A student experiences the positive effects of the Matthew principle when he/she reads and writes. Using the Matthews effect, we can help dyslexic students to gain the accumulated advantage by reading more, this can be done by merging student’s passions interests and hobbies with literacy.

This Benefits

• Literacy ( Reading writing and spelling skills)

• Vocabulary

• Developing, specialist knowledge

• Motivations

• Self-esteem

• Developing transferable skills which can benefit academic performance

Positive Dyslexia

“Johnny’s Hero’s Journey” is an inspirational book for young dyslexic readers, teaching the brain principles that aid in the development of literacy skills. This anime-inspired story fosters the development of literacy skills and habits for readers aged 6 to 16+.

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“Dyslexia Awareness: The Secret Phonic Lottery” is a creative masterpiece in dyslexia and neurodiversity research, not just a book but a catalyst for students, aiding dyslexic readers, educators, parents, and advocates alike.

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