EDUC-6160-6
Week 4 Blog Assignment

November 24th, 2012 

Consequences of Stress on Children's Development: Poverty

Poverty is one of the most debilitating conditions for children (R. H. & Corwyn, 2003). Most researchers believe that it is poverty's devastating effect on parenting that explains poor social outcomes. Consequently, this has led me to tell the story about one of my Grade 2 students, whose name is Mark, living with his family in absolute poverty (lack of the basic needs in his home - food, running water, proper sanitation, clothing, shelter, health care, and education).

 Undoubtedly, Mark and his family (grandmother, father and siblings) reside in the capital of the country, dwelling in a dilapidated galvanize building that is erected at the front of the bay. His mother (grandmother's daughter) who was unemployed at the time,  fled the scene before Mark was five years old, since she could not have stood the pressure in the home. They claimed that, she is now living in a common-law relationship with another man in the rural area of the country, and never looked   back on her children.  Mark's grandmother  and his father  are also unemployed, and have difficulty in supporting these children, hence, the reason why they had to seek assistance from people in and around the community.

 However, it was in Kindergarten Mark's conditions were discovered, when his teacher observed that he was frequently absent from school. He was never properly attired in his school uniform, always untidy, with uncombed hair, and an unpleasant smell that was coming from his body, which made his classmates, not wanting to sit next to him, neither playing with him. Mc Loyd (1998) postulated that, children in poverty are more likely to suffer emotional challenges, and, as a result, to be less successful in their relationships with peers.

 On the other hand, Mark habitually came to school without breakfast, so, the principal and teachers had to intervene on his behalf, and summoned his father and grandmother to the school. Upon extensive inquiry, and proper two-way communication, we realized that this family was very destitute. Consequently, the school became an advocate for this family, then began to play an active role in Mark's life, seeking its transformation. Gordon & Browne (2011) claimed that, there is a strict correlation between poverty and school failure, since children who start at a disadvantage, fall farther behind in academic achievement throughout their school years. Because of this, teachers at the school did not want such thing to happen to Mark, so, for this reason, we had to make an interception at this early stage.

Due to teachers' generosity, Mark's low self-esteem has been elevated to high self-esteem. He is now well attired when  coming  to school, always regular and punctual,  and is enlisted on the school's feeding program. Even though Mark is living in poverty,  and was at high risk for interference to optimal growth development, he was not less competent in school-related cognitive tasks, as he waded himself through Kindergarten to Grade 2. Now, Mark has many friends in school, looks and feels  happier, and sees that everyone is showing interest in his education, as well as his holistic development.

                                    

                                                                               References

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood. New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

 Gordon, A. M., & Browne, K. W. (2011). Beginnings and beyond foundations in early childhood education. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

 Smith, J. T. (2010). Early childhood development: A multicultural perspective. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.