RUNNING HEAD: Acommodations for Students in Poverty

Accommodations for students in poverty: what teachers can do to help. EDU-570 Deanna Middleton Echols May 30, 2013

Accommodations for students in poverty

Accommodations for students in poverty: what teachers can do to help Impact of Poverty on Education According to the U.S. current population study (2011), there are over 16 million children living in poverty. Poverty is described as an annual income of around $23,000 for a family of four and less for a family of two. The number of children in poverty has increased by 35% from 2000; more than 4.5 million more children are living in poverty. Over half of the children living in poverty live with a single mother, compared to about 9% who live with a married couple. Out of those children in poverty, over 9 million are school-age, from 6 to 17. These children are enrolled in public schools throughout the country, and the living conditions of these students can create cognitive speed bumps and behavior problems that inhibit instruction and learning. In a research report form Phi Delta Kappa (2011), 26% of children who live in poverty and did not read proficiently by third grade do not finish high school. If a child has spent over half of their childhood in poverty, 32% of those students will not graduate from high school. Of those in high school, many are placed in classes below their academic ability and have lessened expectations from administration and teachers. Many schools serving students in poverty also were more likely to have non-college tracks dominate the curriculum (Mayer, 2008) There are many learning roadblocks these students face entering school. Ruby Payne (2008) writes that students from impoverished families are unlikely to have the unwritten rules about succeeding in school, as well as little background knowledge and family support. Jensen (2013) also writes that students living in poverty commonly show cognitive problems and may act out with behavior problems or shut down because of their struggles. These cognitive problems may also stem from a lack of cognitive experiences within the home and early

Accommodations for students in poverty

childhood. Lower socio-economic status (SES) parents do not regularly engage their children in literacy activities, creating a gap in their background knowledge for early literacy, vocabulary and reading. Children in poverty are also less likely to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports and dance. SES is now a major prediction of child participation in these activities (Mistry and Wadsworth, 2011; Jensen, 2013). Students in poverty also deal with nutrition and health problems. Students in poverty are more likely to experience food insecurity, which can lead to chronic illness, deficiencies, and childhood obesity (Mistry and Wadsworth, 2011). Jensen (2013) also asserts that children who grow up in poverty are exposed to food with lower nutritional value. These students have difficulty concentrating and listening, which greatly affects their learning. Health problems can also be caused by living conditions, no regular exercise, and no access to regular doctor or dental care (Mistry and Wadsworth, 2011). Students in poverty are also more likely to have untreated ear infections and a higher propensity for asthma. All of these health problems can manifest themselves in diminished attention, reasoning, learning, and memory in students. Students in poverty also face mental health issues. According to a recent publication from Communication Across Barriers (2012), families who live in poverty may see school as a stressor, as well as a place they do not belong. Students in poverty can learn dangerous lessons from stereotypes in culture that something is wrong with them and they do not belong. Common thoughts of students in poverty are No one cares, Everyone seems smarter, and People like us do not get educated. Researchers in a mental health pilot study noted that the need for mental health services in schools dealing with poverty was clear. Over two-fifths of students in the study were rated by their teachers as having significant social, emotional, behavioral, or concentration problems causing social or academic impairment. Researchers noted that disrespectful,

Accommodations for students in poverty

disruptive, and aggressive behavior were the norm for students in this school, as well as risky behavior and socio-emotional aptitude. Researchers gave teachers and administrators a curriculum that was designed to teach appropriate, socio-emotional skills, methods of behavior regulation and modification, problem solving, decision making, and responsibility. After using this curriculum, the students were assessed as having fewer difficulties in mental health issues, less impaired behavior, and improved attitude, and mental health knowledge and management (Walter, Gouze, Cicchetti, Arend, Mehta, Schmidt, & Skvarla, 2011). Jensen (2013) also writes that students in poverty are more likely to deal with chronic stress, or distress. This distress affects brain development, angry or passive behavior, and may appear to be out of control or lazy. These behaviors affect classroom management and instruction. Another area that students in poverty may struggle with is building positive relationships. Jensen (2013) states that children in poverty experience unstable and chaotic lifestyles, creating insecurity and constant stress. These students also receive twice as many reprimands than positive comments in the home. Building relationships with others can be challenging for these students, and create mistrust in students. Also, students in poverty may also experience lower popularity in school and conflicting, instead of positive, peer relationships as effects of poverty (as cited in Cuthrell, Stapleton, and Ledford, DATE). Classroom Instructional Strategies Teaching Language Strategies As previously mentioned, students in poverty struggle with language and literacy (CITE). Children living in poverty heard approximately 10 million words by age three, compared to noneconomically disadvantaged students who had heard about 30 million words. This impacts their

Accommodations for students in poverty

background knowledge for vocabulary, reading, speaking, and writing (Payne, 2008; Jensen, 2013). Students in poverty may struggle to read formal texts or speak formally. Payne (2008) asserts that there are many different registers for speaking, from intimate, or private language reserved for two people, to frozen, formal language found in documents like The Pledge of Allegiance. Students in poverty do not use formal language in their daily lives, and many teachers use it exclusively in their classrooms, putting these students at a disadvantage. Jensen(2013) also asserts that students in poverty may not understand the vocabulary used by the teacher or in reading material. It is the job of the teacher to then strengthen these students experiences with vocabulary and language. Payne (2008) suggests letting students translate speech and writing from casual to formal or formal to casual. This scaffolds their understanding of formal language by letting them put it into comfortable words they know. Teachers should also teach students that formal language is not the language of white people, as many belie ve, but the language of money and success. Jensen (2013) also suggests incorporating vocabulary and language learning into daily rituals, and creating hands on activities for learning language and vocabulary. Modified Projects and Homework