The disadvantaged child could have any of a large number of reasons to lack the advantages others have. One must therefore distinguish between what advantages devolve upon a person by birth or chance and what advantages our society considers essential.
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" stipulations that amount to instructions to the parent on how to raise his or her children. They are good instructions insofar as they go, and are more or less common to all children who are good citizens and report having enjoyed a happy childhood. The first thing any child will say that marked his or her happy childhood was the time spent with mom and dad.
Thus, #1 could be rendered a little more simply: "Be interested in your ch...