Economic hardship is changing our students' brain structures at a genetic level, producing psychological, behavioral, and cognitive issues that dramatically impact learning, behavior, physical health, and emotional stability. But there is hope. This groundbreaking book by one of the nation's top experts in brain science and resilience offers…

The word gap, or the language gap, can be traced back to Hart and Risley's 1995 seminal work on language practices in high- and low-income families, and it is one of the most widely cited explanations for why children from low-income, minority contexts underperform academically in contrast to their white, middle-income counterparts. Despite its…

Oral language development is a key outcome of elementary school, and it is important to identify factors that predict it most effectively. Commonly researchers use ordinary least squares regression with conclusions restricted to average performance conditional on relevant covariates. Quantile regression offers a more sophisticated alternative.…

Both early childhood maternal language input and the quality of classroom instruction in elementary school have been shown to be important environmental supports in predicting children's literacy skill development. However, no studies have simultaneously examined these two environmental supports in relation to children's early language skills and…

Global education agendas frequently draw on the construct of 'school readiness', indexing the developmental trajectories of children to the expectations of school systems. Through in-depth ethnographic research in a village in Bihar, India, this paper examines how normative discourses of 'school readiness' govern family strategies for early…

The home environment, which includes the level of organization and stability in the home, plays a crucial role in the development of executive function and oral language skills. For children who live in a low-SES environment, executive function and oral language acquisition are inferior compared to that of students living at other economic levels.…

Many Aboriginal students face extraordinary challenges as they enter and move through the school system. The risk associated with poverty plays a large role in an Aboriginal child's early childhood development, including delayed cognitive and social development. As well, many Aboriginal students feel the neglect of their cultural heritage and the…

Parents' interactions with their children can have influential effects on children's language outcomes. Special supports may be needed however, when young children live in poverty and show developmental delays early in life. This study analyzed data for a subset of children enrolled in Early Head Start (EHS) programs and participating in a…

We review the development of the Jamaican home visiting intervention for children under 4 years and its evidence base. The intervention has focused on supporting mothers to promote the development of their children through interacting in a responsive way, labelling the environment and activities. The curriculum is structured and cognitively…

Studies have shown that distal family risk factors like poverty and maternal education are strongly related to children's early language development. Yet, few studies have examined these risk factors in combination with more proximal day-to-day experiences of children that might be critical to understanding variation in early language. Young…

An analysis is provided of the effects of poverty on child development and later intellectual competence, in terms of goal seeking and problem solving, use of language, and patterns of social reciprocity. Implications are charted for public policy and for the conduct of early childhood education. (EH)

Discusses the power of early childhood education to overcome longstanding social, psychological, and economic problems. (Author/RK)

CHILDREN FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN SUBSTANDARD OR OVERCROWDED INNER CITY DWELLINGS IN BALTIMORE WERE SELECTED FOR AN EXPERIMENTAL PRESCHOOL PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY TYPIFIED THE CULTURALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUNGSTERS WHO COULD BE EXPECTED TO SUFFER FAILURE OR FRUSTRATION UPON PUBLIC SCHOOL ENTRY AT THE AGES OF FIVE OR SIX. CENTERS WERE OPENED IN 1963.…

Cocaine use during pregnancy is a high-risk indicator for adverse developmental outcomes. Three levels of intervention (center, home, and primary care) were compared in a full service, birth to age 3, early intervention program serving children exposed to cocaine prenatally. Data were collected on 130 children from urban, predominantly poor,…

Contents of this study include the following essays: (1) "Economic Considerations of Poverty," Harry Lacombe; (2) "Physical Growth and Development: Some Socioeconomic Factors During Prenatal and Postnatal Life," Geoffrey C. Robinson, (3) "Language, Cognition and Poverty," Alan R. Moffit; (4) "Personality…