"Children raised in poverty suffer many ill effects: They often have health problems and tend to struggle in school, which can create a cycle of poverty across generations. Now, research is providing what could be crucial clues to explain how childhood poverty translates into dimmer chances of success: Chronic stress from growing up poor appears to have a direct impact on the brain, leaving children with impairment in at least one key area -- working memory.
"There's been lots of evidence that low-income families are under tremendous amounts of stress, and we know that stress has many implications," said Gary W. Evans, a professor of human ecology at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., who led the research. "What this data raises is the possibility that it's also related to cognitive development." With the economic crisis threatening to plunge more children into poverty, other researchers said the work offers insight into how poverty affects long-term achievement and underscores the potential ramifications of chronic stress early in life..."
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I guess my question is, we may know it to be true - but does it really matter? There are kids out there everyday that beat the odds, despite their circumstances. Whether it's great will or great support, they do it. And because we know every student can, there's no room for giving slack. This is not to say that teachers shouldn't be sympathetic to the stresses that a student experiences in their lives.
More notable info from Inclusion in the Classroom:
- Highly functioning Special Education students may benefit from tutoring/mentoring students of a younger grade level. Though they may not be proficient in their own grade level, they are in a lower level and having the opportunity to teach other students would be a great self-esteem booster.
- Special Education students benefit from direct, intensive instruction.
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