Vocabulary: Poverty And Children In The Classroom

As for Vocabulary, there is a dramatic difference in the exposure that children have to language between children living in poverty and children from middle-class families. By the age of 4, just one year before the start of a typical Kindergarten education, middle-class children have heard a staggering 46 million words spoken at home compared to the 15 million that their counterparts, children in poverty, have. Knowing the importance that spoken language and vocabulary play in development and education makes the figure even more frightening. Therefore, to bridge the gap, teachers need to be persistent in their efforts to introduce and utilize a vast array of both familiar and new words, of simple and challenging words, and giving exposure to

Often when many aspects of their home environment are unstable, these students count on school and teachers to be a constant, unchanging solace. According to Jensen, 75% of all children living in poverty are being cared for by a single parent; it is clearly essential for educators to be supportive and positive role models for their students. Additionally, the instability of home environments often presents in behavioral issues at school. Teachers should proactively shape behavior rather than reacting in negative, unhelpful ways when undesirable behavior persists. When students are acting out, it is the teacher’s responsibility to determine why that is, rather than merely scolding them for their behavior. If the student has a trusting relationship with their teacher, the reason is often easy to come by. From that point, teachers can reaffirm the behavior they do want from the student and why it is important for them to do so. If the teacher has the respect of students, those students are more likely to abide by the teacher’s

Productive stress (in small amounts,) is healthy for daily functioning, but chronic and severe stress (distress) is toxic and detrimental to children. Distressed children typically act out in angry, impulsive bursts, or isolate themselves in a disconnected, passive fashion. As with the behaviors discussed in the Relationship section, it is important for teachers to get to the bottom of these issues rather than reacting to the behavior itself. By addressing the amount of distress your impoverished students feel, they become more able to focus on learning. Teachers should hold their students to high expectations, but the classroom should also be a low-pressure, risk-tolerant environment. Especially for the younger developmental groups, learning should also be made fun whenever possible. Learning games, at any age, can lessen distress by presenting content in a refreshing and fun way, rather than one that is looming and serious. And just as teachers can teach explicit cognition skills, teachers should work with their impoverished students to explicitly teach them coping skills that will help them better deal with the stressors in their environment, whatever that may