I have worked in classrooms around the world, and I can say from first hand experience that the implications of a child coming from an impoverished home reaches deep into the classroom and effects their ability to learn. I have not found any research that would support that children from poor families are any less intelligent or have different IQs than middle class or wealthy families. What impacts these children the most are factors that prevent them from paying attention once the get to school.
Hunger is a major distraction in the classroom. A child from a very poor family may not have food at home. Depending on the age they may not have a guardian who is taking the time to fix meals for the children. With reduced and free lunch programs we are able to help fight some of the hunger Monday through Friday. I work with a local "back pack project" that fills kids back packs with easy to cook meals and snacks to take home with them on the weekend. Working in Kenya and Tanzania I had grown almost numb to the fact that children go without food for days at a time. When I found out that it was also going on in Missouri, my heart just cried all over again for these children.
Other than being told by the child (or less likely their parent) there are many signs that a child is not getting proper nutrition. If a child is consistently tired or gets frustrated on a regular basis they may simply be hungry. Hunger may also be displayed on the opposite end of the spectrum. The child may become violent or angry with teachers and other students. Here is a wonderful site designed by teachers for teachers that can help not only identify hunger, but also has many plans of action and testimonials from teachers about fighting hunger in the classroom. http://www.strength.org/teachers/
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