Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Impact of Poverty on Children’s Development an Educational Outcomes

 

In all countries, poverty presents a chronic stress for children and families that may interfere with suc­cessful adjustment to developmental tasks, including school achievement. Children raised in low-income families are at risk for academic and social problems as well as poor health and well-being, which can in turn undermine educational achievement.

    USA, the association between poverty and children’s de­velopment and academic performance has been well documented, beginning as early as the second year of life and extending through elementary and high school. When these risks occur during preschool years, they can have long-lasting consequences. For example, readiness for school on entry to kindergarten sets the path for future success. School readiness is critical to later academic achievement because dif­ferences on school entry have long-term consequences.

    Lee and Burkman, found that most American stu­dents who start school significantly behind their peers can never close the readiness gap. Rather, the gap tends to widen as they move through school. “School readi­ness has been shown to be predictive of virtually every educational benchmark (example, achievement test scores, grade retention, special education placement, dropout, etc.). The consequences of early school fail­ure are increased likelihood of absent, drop out, and unhealthy or delinquent behaviors.

    Between 30 and 40% of children entering kindergarten in the United States are estimated to not be ready for school. The link between poverty and low academic achievement has been well established. Low-income children are at increased risk of leaving school with­out graduating, resulting in inflation-adjusted earn­ings in the United States that declined 16% from 1979 to 2005, averaging slightly over $10/hour. Evidence from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network has shown that children in chronically im­poverished families have lower cognitive and academic performance and more behavior problems than chil­dren who are not exposed to poverty, partially ex­plained by a lack of stimulating behaviors and home experiences among low-income families.

    Parenting education and support programs are de­signed to improving the negative effects of poverty on family characteristics, such as lack of responsive stimulation or learning materials, with the goal of im­proving child well-being. These programs have a vari­ety of delivery mechanisms, including a health center or system, home visiting by a trained worker, com­bining counseling with growth monitoring, providing group sessions for parents, and media outreach. Some are directed to children with a particular risk factor, such as prematurity or low–birth weight (LBW).

 

References

The effect of poverty on child development and educational outcomes. Retrieved from

 digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002...fac