Poverty Stressors Lead to Impaired Learning Ability in Children

[Starry Messenger]

http://www.opposingviews.com/i/health/stresses-poverty-may-impair-learning-ability-young-children

The stresses of poverty — such as crowded conditions, financial worry, and lack of adequate child care — lead to impaired learning ability in children from impoverished backgrounds, according to a theory by a researcher funded by the National Institutes of Health. The theory is based on several years of studies matching stress hormone levels to behavioral and school readiness test results in young children from impoverished backgrounds.

Further, the theory holds, finding ways to reduce stress in the home and school environment could improve children's well being and allow them to be more successful academically.

High levels of stress hormones influence the developing circuitry of children's brains, inhibiting such higher cognitive functions such as planning, impulse and emotional control, and attention. Known collectively as executive functions, these mental abilities are important for academic success.

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During the course of their research, Dr. Blair and his colleagues measured children’s levels of cortisol, a hormone the body releases in response to stress. With minor stress, a modest increase followed by a decrease in cortisol over time is associated with improved performance on complex tasks (graphic athttp://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/stress_learning_graphic.cfm.)

However, Dr. Blair explained, at high levels of stress, particularly over a long period of time, cortisol can be sustained at high or low levels or even become blunted, actually decreasing in response to challenges.

<snip>

[LWolf]

1. So, heading into the new school year,

what are some ways we can try to reduce stress in the school environment?

Ways that we can actually implement; the most obvious would be to abolish high-stakes testing, but that's not within our control.

[Starry Messenger]

2. If we had the resources to do big schoolwide programs, I have a long list.

Expanded breakfast programs, support centers for wellness (physical and mental), robust bilingual parent programs.

In the classroom, I have food for kids for snacks or let them take a break for their own food if they have it. I teach an art class, so I can be a little more organic in how I create a classroom environment. Usually they are working on projects and I'm giving feedback, walking around and helping hands-on, etc. so I try to get a sense of what kids are struggling with.

[LWolf]

3. Those are all great ideas.

I met with a parent this afternoon; she wanted to know why tptb never ask teachers what is needed to create a healthy, robust system of public education.

[mbperrin]

4. Maslow had the early word on this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

Good to see someone backing it 70 years later.

I grew up poor, and I had some wonderful teachers who made up the gaps.

I try to do the same in my own teaching practice of three decades.

[LWolf]

6. Maslow did,

and has been largely ignored in the education arena.

At least by those who formulate policy.

[knitter4democracy]

5. This is exactly right.

What we know about stress's impact on the body dovetails right into the data they're getting on our students and what we see in the classroom.

I teach in a district with over 80% on free/reduced lunch, and we got a grant this year to expand our free breakfast program to lunch as well so now all of our students eat for free. I'm hoping we'll see gains in the classroom when we have kids properly fed.

Maslow was right. We just need to go back to that. I don't care what those Gates studies say: teachers alone cannot overcome all other non-school variables in achievement.

[sulphurdunn]

7. Download it quick!

Before it disappears into the bowels of the NIH archives forever. These research conclusions have been repeated so many times in one way or another that they have become self-evident truth to educators who give a damn about data supported by peer reviewed scientific evidence. Those not giving a damn include virtually everyone in a position of enough power to fabricate and peddle the fictional, privatization narrative called "education reform."