Greetings Little One: Predetermined for success

I’m in the middle of Malcolm Gladwell’s book, The Outliers. It’s quite compelling. The book is written in an attempt to explain why some people succeed while others do not, and he writes about a phenomenon that elementary school teachers have known about for a long time:

Your birth month greatly determines your chances of success.

Gladwell cites numerous studies that have shown that in academics and sports, children with January, February and March birthdays have a significant advantage over children born later in the year. Since the cutoff date for placing kids in kindergarten is typically December 31, babies born early in the year tend to be the oldest in their class, and as a result, they begin school with a distinct advantage.

Ask any school teacher about a December baby and you’ll likely hear that these children tend to be less mature than their peers. I’ve known teachers who actually evaluated their incoming class by the number of December birthdays on the roster.

It might not sound like much, but when you’re only 60 months old, a difference of even six months is statistically significant.

Add to this the power of cumulative advantage, in which high achieving kindergartners are placed in stronger learning groups, receive greater amounts of enrichment, and are able to access opportunities that their significantly younger peers cannot, and this advantage of three or six or twelve months grows exponentially. And this advantage continues in first grade, where these kids are now soaring thanks to the advanced reading groups that they find themselves in as a result of their successful kindergarten career. By the time these kids enter middle school, this advantage has compounded many times over, making these January-March children the gifted and talented kids in their class, not because of ability, but because of birth month.

The same holds true in sports. Gladwell cites one Canadian junior hockey team (which also has a December cutoff date) on which 87 percent of the players were January-March babies. Examinations of similar hockey teams, from Pee Wee all the way up to the NHL, show a significantly greater number of players born during the first three months of the year. These kids were just bigger and more developed when they began playing, and as a result, they were given more opportunities to practice, to play in games, and to join travel teams.

What does all this mean to you, little one? Maybe nothing, but note that your mother is a January baby, I am a February baby, and you will undoubtedly be one or the other.

I expect great things from you.