“THE MATTHEW EFFECT” From Outliers

Writer’s Notebook Get out your writer’s notebook, turn to the writing section and title this Outliers: The Matthew Effect

Pre-read: The Matthew Effect Chapter One’s title comes from a verse in the New Testament (Matthew 25:29) “For unto every one 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” Translated: People who are already very good at what they do are given more (and better) opportunities to lead to further success. People who aren’t very good are usually not given other opportunities to get better. This is Gladwell’s claim. What do you think?

Pre-Read: Gladwell’s Proof Malcolm Gladwell uses several examples to prove his points:  Hockey players  Baseball players  Soccer players  Students

Pre-Read: “The Matthew Effect” We open on a warm spring day in 2007 at a Junior Hockey League in Canada. Medicine Hat Tigers vs. Vancouver Giants Why do you think these guys are so good at hockey? What did they have to do to get where they are?

Question 1 What is a meritocracy? What does Gladwell mean when he says, “Canadian hockey is a meritocracy” on page 16?

Question 2 At the end of section 1, Gladwell says, “Players are judged on their own performance, not on anyone else’s, and on the basis of their own ability, not on some other arbitrary fact” (17). Do you agree? Why or why not?

Question 3 Which outliers listed on the bottom of page17 and top of 18 are you most interested in learning about? Why?

Question 4 Reread the paragraph on the bottom of page 19 to 20. What does an oak tree have to do with a successful person? Explain the metaphor.

Question 5 Look at the roster of Medicine Hat hockey players from 2007 on page 20. Do you notice anything strange? What is it? What questions do you have about this phenomenon?

Question 6 Why does Gladwell substitute players’ birthdates for their names when giving another play-by-play on page 23?

Question 7 On page 24, Gladwell begins to outline why January- March birthdates are best for hockey players. Look at the following scenario: Johnny (born January 1, 2001) plays hockey next to Bobby (born December 31, 2001). What advantage does Johnny have over Bobby?

Question 8 On page 25, Gladwell references two beloved sports in America, but unlike hockey, we don’t see a pattern in birthdates of professionals. Why don’t we see this same trend in football and basketball?

Question 9 Why do parents with children born toward the end of the school year consider holding their child back before the start of kindergarten? What are they afraid of?

Question 10 When reviewing TIMSS scores, Kelly Bedard and Elizabeth Dhuey found that older children in a grade scored 4% to 12% higher than their younger peers. Why did the older kids score higher?

Question 11 Gladwell reveals a specific definition for the Matthew Effect on page 30. Do you agree that those who are successful are most likely to be given more opportunities to gain more success? Why or why not?

Question 12 On page 33, Gladwell proposes a solution to making hockey, soccer, and even school more fair for all people, regardless of birthday. What do you think about his solution? Do you agree with him? Would it make a difference?