The Effects of Childhood Poverty & Education

Executive Function and Stress

• Executive function, the self-control area of the child's mental processing, affects the ability to self-regulate, focus, pay attention, plan and handle multiple thoughts at one time, according to Harvard's Center on the Developing Child. Children who live in poverty have been shown to release higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, according research from the National Institutes of Health. Increased cortisol impacts the child's brain behavior, lowering impulse control, attention span and planning. In-turn, this hurts the child's ability to focus on learning during class-time and manage classroom tasks such as test-taking or completing assignments.

Lead Exposure, Poverty and Learning

• Lead exposure is linked to a range of developmental issues that impact a child's ability to learn. Children who live in substandard housing are more likely to experience lead exposure due to flaking lead-based paint, which was widely used prior to 1978. The ETS Center for Research on Human Capital and Education says that 21 percent of children ages 1 through 5 living below the poverty level have elevated blood lead levels. In comparison, 10 percent of children living above the poverty level have similar levels of lead in their bodies. Negative effects from any level of lead in the child's body can include behavioral problems and intellectual deficits, notes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nutrition and Education

• In 2013, 3.8 million families could not provide their children with adequate amounts of nutritious foods, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Food insecurity was highest among low-income families with children ages 6 or younger. During the first few years of life, poor nutrition resulting from inadequate amounts of nutrients and protein may contribute to decreases in social, emotional and cognitive development, notes the American Psychological Association. Not only does a lack of nutrients contribute to decreased development, but hunger itself can also impact the child's ability to thrive in the school environment. Children who don't have access to an adequate amount of food may have reduced motor functioning, show symptoms of conduct disorders, act aggressively or exhibit signs of anxiety and irritability. These can all seriously impact and interfere with the learning process.

School Absenteeism

• Excelling at school means showing up to learn. Repeated absences negatively impact the child's ability to learn, retain information and complete her education. Children of families who are living poverty are more likely to be absent from school than those who live in wealthier households, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty. Absenteeism in the early years of schooling affects academic areas such as math and reading as well as social and emotional functioning. As children age, those living in poverty also have an increased likelihood of absenteeism due to work or family child care responsibilities. The effects of chronic absences go beyond missing a lesson or two. Students who miss school often are less likely to graduate than those who attend regularly.