The disadvantaged child

The Compact for Learning established by the State of New York states that "all children can learn." It gives the parental responsibilities to help their own children learn (I have deleted some excess wordage for brevity's sake. I have numbered them for reference.):

1)"Be interested in homework."

2)"Talk to your children about school, their friends, your hopes and expectations, and what matters to you and to them."

3)"Provide a healthy, safe, positive environment with regular routines and time for family fun."

4)"Limit and supervise television viewing."

5)"Help your children get along with others."

6)"Select playthings which encourage problem solving and active participation."

7)"Keep a calendar of school activities. . . ."

8)"Keep important papers about your child in a safe place."

9)"Encourage your children."

10)"Tell your child what you expect. Establish logical consequences for their behavior."

What we know about poverty will dictate some of the difficulties the impovershed parent will have in implenting these goals, these "partnership

. . .
al visits, inoculations, dental check-ups, and treatment of ailments. He or she will need regular and healthy food, and a means to stay out of the way of criminal elements. These three things, health, food, and civilized activities, take money, which government can provide. The second part, "regular routines and time for family fun," take time. No government can provide that, the parent must make it, and the disadvantaged child and parent simply cannot do so easily. #5 is more complicated now than ever before. The "others" the child has to get along with are no longer limited to the bully down the street or down the hallway, but include gang members as well. The government and the schools can provide programs to encourage the child to eschew these traps, but they do not always succeed. Studies of who does avoid them reveal their success lay in their heart: a relationship with their parent was more important than a relationship with any given peer. This parental relationship begins in infancy and requires time the disadvantaged parent often does not have. #6 will most likely find its problem in the parents' inability to provide any playthings at all aside from what their children find or are given. A characteristic adva
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Approximate Word count = 1735
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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