Effects Of Poverty On Learning

Nelson Mandela once said, "Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom” (Make Poverty History, 2005). Gwinnett county is third in the country when it comes to a high poverty rate, with 14% of the population living below poverty (Family Promise of Gwinnet County, 2013). As an educator it is important to familiarize with the county of which one is to teach in, and poverty is an issue in Gwinnett county. One must understand the affects of poverty on

Poverty is everywhere in this world especially in education. Poverty in education could come from the location of the school, the child’s home life, how the students feel about school and in many other ways. Poverty comes in all shapes and forms, “An appalling number of American Children live in poverty. According to the National Center for Children in Poverty, 14.7 million, or nearly 20 percent of children under age 18, live below the poverty line” (When Poverty…). The kids/students bring those debilitating effect with them to school every day.

A Framework for Understanding Poverty is a book, written by Ruby K. Payne for the purpose of helping educators impact their students in poverty through opportunities. This book examines experiences from all economic classes in order to evaluate the differences in education among each class. Payne talks about the different types of poverty and the resources needed to be a stable and educated person. Poverty is “the extent to which an individual does without resources”.

Many children live in poverty around the world, the effects on these developing minds of these children can hurt their development to adulthood. Kids in poverty tend to have lower education than other families that are richer. Their health is also effected from poverty, their life expectancy is 8 years lower from richer families. The communities they grow up can affect them in making choices, choosing money over education. In this paper, i’ll explain the effects of poverty on children’s education, health, and communities.

A Framework for Understanding Poverty is a valuable tool to the helping profession. It has a lot of good information about the cultural differences between classes. It offers practical solutions to many problems commonly encountered when educators have problems with their students who live in poverty. The book helps educators to assist students who live in poverty survive in the middle-class world. Payne 's work has been eye opening in

(Wagstaff 2002, p.97). Students may be socio-economically disadvantaged and the teachers must remember that poverty is in no way a deficit; merely that they may not have the same level of resources or exposure to educational experiences as more advantaged students (Groundwater-Smith,S., Le Cornu, R. & Ewing, R

Is the rising poverty rate of America negatively affecting the education of high school students across the nation? Unemployment, parents’ level of education and a profound list that continues has shown to impact a child’s education. In 2013, “a majority of of children attending our K-12 public schools [came] from low-income families” (Suitts 35). Poverty-stricken students are more likely to receive poor grades than those living above the poverty line. What seems to be affecting the grades of these impoverished students? The constant need to support their family financially, physically, and emotionally. Teachers may be unaware that some students face these hardships throughout their daily lives. They need to understand that students of lower socioeconomic statuses may not prioritize homework over taking care of their family during a time of need. Teachers should be more aware to better serve and understand their students. There is crucial evidence that supports that socioeconomic status does affect the education of those living under the poverty line, but some researchers believe that it has no effect on students’ education at all. Teachers should be more aware how socioeconomic status affects the grades of high school students.

Poverty is something that significantly impacts the lives of many people. Cuthrell, Stapleton, and Ledford (2010) stated in the article Examining the Culture of Poverty: Promising Practices that the number of children in the United States living in poverty is nearing 13 million. Cuthrell et al. (2010) also stated this means one of six children is poor. These statistics justify that poverty is a pivotal issue educators need to understand to benefit those students that are living in poverty. In the article The Importance of Making the Well-Being of Children in Poverty a Priority it states, “children from low-income families are more likely to suffer from preventable illnesses, fail in school, become teenage parents, and become involved in the justice system” (Prince, Pepper, & Brocato, 2006, P. 21). This shows that there are many obstacles and barriers that people living in poverty will have to face and overcome. It is very important that both people living in poverty and those that work with individuals that live in poverty become educated on how to conquer these obstacles. School Counselors are going to play a large role in helping students that are being raised in poverty. They will not only help the students that are living in poverty, but the school staff and parents as well.

Poverty is a big issue that still gets in the way of students learning. Students who are poor have less resources than their wealthier counterparts. These students are disadvantaged at home from lack of resources such as no internet, up to date books, and parents that may not be as educated. Poorer students also tend to live in poorer communities and the schools do not have the same resources as wealthier school districts because of low funding.

The population increase across the United States has also significantly impacted the socioeconomic status of the student population. The low income and poverty level of students has been increasing. In 2013 approximately 21 percent of school aged children were living among poverty. ( ) This is a vast amount of students within the population that are affected. Living in poverty can have a significant impact on the education of the student. An educator needs to be aware of the challenges and obstacles this may have on the students’education.

Educators are perhaps the best super humans out there at this point in age. They constantly have to change and adapt new skills to keep up with new technology, psychological upgrades and environmental traumas that impact students. In Eric Jensen’s Teaching with Poverty in Mind provides new techniques future and current educators should use to combat the impact that poverty has on students, mentally, emotionally and physically. Jensen’s text has strengthened my opinions on education as well as added new views towards my future career as a high school educator.

For those who live in the United States, some do not see the correlation between poverty and its effects on people’s behavior to their academics. Poverty affects many students at a young age depending on the location they are in as it prevents underprivileged kids to seek higher education. However, with new opportunities [in effect], kids in poverty can have the same education as privileged kids. Poverty stricken students are disadvantaged when trying to obtain a higher education. Children in poverty lose their motivation in school when they do not have the support of their parents. Some other issues students face includes parents not being able to assist their child in school. Another is that the child is not able to go to school because they have to work instead and support their families. Although public education is available to all children, those that live in poverty are deprived of its full potential due to the factors of low family incomes as well as the lack of self-motivation and the importance of having an education.

“One of the most powerful ways to engage students is to let them take charge of their own learning.” Eric Jensen author of Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids’ Brains and What Schools Can Do about It

One major effect of poverty is that children are at a higher risk for academic failure. Readiness for school when entering kindergarten sets the bar for future success. Students behind their peers find it more difficult to close the readiness gap (Black

Poverty is a common issue that has an effect on everyone. There is a certain group of the human race that is highly affected by poverty. This group is children. Research is clear that poverty is the single greatest threat to children's well-being. Poverty can impede children's ability to learn and contribute to social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Poverty also can contribute to poor physical and mental health. Risks are greatest for children who experience poverty when they are young and/or experience deep and persistent poverty (US Poverty Myths). Some ways children suffer in poverty is they do not have food/shelter, people choose not to pay taxes, and how it is not always the parents fault and how they treat the children’s because