Why Children Of Poverty Are Over Represented

In Lower Skilled Groups Essay, Research Paper

The cognitive and IQ development of children is very diversified in the United States, in the next pages I will try to provide an explanation for such diversity. Knowing that 40.8% of those in poverty are children (Blank 1997) and knowing their IQ scores and cognitive abilities are not equal to those of greater socioeconomic status, I am inclined to think that poverty and cognitive development have a correlation. My review of literature focused on why the children of poverty are over represented in the under-development of cognitive skills. My first conclusion is that children of poverty are at a disadvantage from their conception to their entrance into the American school system and throughout. Secondly, tracking, a way of ability grouping in the education system, upholds competitive learning even in light of statistical evidence that show cooperative learning is more effective.

My first conclusion, known as environment has two divisions- pre and post-natal. The prenatal refers to the stage of growth of an embryo and fetus. In the beginning stages of pre-natal teratogens which includes any disease, drug, or any other environmental agent that can harm a developing embryo or fetus by causing physical deformities, severely retarded growth, blindness, brain damage and even death. “The list of known teratogens has grown frighteningly long over the years, making many of today’s parents quite concerned about the hazards their unborn children could face” (Shaffer 1999). Exposure to these teratogens also causes low-birth-weight (experiencing slow growth as a fetus). These kids are more likely to “experience learning difficulties and behavior problems at school, and perform poorly on IQ tests (Shaffer 1999). Parents of the impoverished just do not seem to have equal medical knowledge or facilities as many of those in middle and upper-classes. Interestingly Simpson Verp found that pregnant women routinely interact with possible teratogens in their milieu, things such as organic dyes and coloring agents, food additives, artificial sweeteners, pesticides and cosmetic products.the risks associated with a large number of these common chemical additives and treatments remain to be determined (Shaffer 1999). Pregnant women of poverty are more likely to use the less expensive lower quality cosmetics, lower grade foods, and other everyday products to save money for her unborn child whom she is blindly putting into danger. There are many teratogens that are known universally like illicit drugs. But it is not only the mother who can affect the embryo via teratogens; the father is too responsible.

Not only is physical health in the pre-natal environment crucial but mental health need not be forgotten. Women expecting a child must be mentally sound. Temporarily stressful episodes such as a fall or frightening experience have few, if any harmful effects. It is when the stress is prolonged that damage to the fetus occurs. Paarlberg found low-birth weight is one of the more common birth complications, but the researcher Vaughn found more. He found children of highly stressed mothers to be highly active, irritable, and irregular in their feeding, sleeping, and bowel habits (Schaffer 1999). It is not good if you couple an already stressed mother with a child who is irritable and unresponsive, that environment does not fostering the child’s “positive” potential.

But it is not only the mother who can affect the embryo via teratogens; the father is too responsible. Men of poverty more often than not have a low paying job in a factory or other dicey work place where chemical and pollutant exposure is not uncommon. Studies show that males are also susceptible to teratogens that can cause chromosome abnormalities of the father who then passes them on to his kids.

Now, the pre-natal environment plays sizeable roles in the development of children, unfortunately children of poverty are more inherent to reap the negative effects of their pre-natal environment. Effects can be physical, mental, or behavioral.

Even though the pre-natal environment can be hindering, the environment the child is reared in (post-natal environment) can overcome many outcomes of the pre-natal. Ronald Wilson in 1985, focused on twins separated at birth, because they are usually low in birth weight but these twins studied were especially small for twins at birth. We see in chart 4.9 that the twins overall indeed did have a below average mental performance throughout the first 3 years. At the same time it also shows that twins from the middle-class eventually made up their deficits by scoring average or slightly above. Their counterparts (twins in low-income homes) remained largely below average in their intellectual performance. The physical underdevelopment of these children does have an affect on their cognitive abilities. The shortened time span for development does not allow the full amount synapse connections to be produced (Adams-Curtis 1999).

In figure 9.4 it has been found that the greater number of these risk factors affecting a child, the lower his or her IQ.

In ability grouping the track you enter into is largely determined by the result of the IQ or Achievement test scores of the child. Once again unfortunately for those children of poverty, IQ is 50% heritability and 50% environmental. There is what is known as the “Fly