I found two interesting articles related to SES and brain development. We have seen the impacts of low SES on academic achievement and there is now research that shows low SES can impact a child significantly in the development of their brain. The first article, Hackman, Farah and Meaney (2010), focused on research showing that prenatal factors, parent–child interactions and cognitive stimulation in the home environment and SES have an impact on neural development. The second article, Kishiyama, et al. (2009) provided evidence that prefrontal function is alterned in low SES children. I believe there is signifant information and implications for the future in these two articles, as once a developmental set-back occurs in the brain happens, it is difficult (developmentally) to make gains until that set-back is addressed.
Hackman, Farah and Meaney (2010) highlight that low SES individuals have worse physical and mental health and experience impaired cognitive and emotional development throughout their lifespan. Is there the possibility that growing up in an low SES environment, impacts the brain and causes the disparity in academic achievement among the "have's" and "have nots"?
I think the both articles provide an opportunity for understanding how environmental factors can lead to differences in brain development. Further, they highlight the importance of improving programs and policies designed to alleviate SES, specific to academic achievement.
What do you think our obligation is to address the fact that low SES is proven to cause brain impairment in children? And what implications will this have on U.S. society and it's citizens if these delays are not addressed?
References
Kishiyama, M. T. (2009). Socioeconomic disparities affect prefrontal function in children. Journal Of Cognitive Neuroscience, 21(6), 1106-1115.
Hackman, D. A., Farah, M. J., Meaney, M. (2010). Socioeconomic status and the brain: mechanistic insights from human and animal research. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(9), 651-659.
I think our obligation, as teachers, is to learn as many different teaching strategies as we can to help those who are developmentally delayed because it is just a fact of life they are out there regardless of their SES status. The sad fact is there seem to be more out there than when I started teaching in '97. This is just an opinion. I haven't actually done any research on it. :o)
ReplyDeleteI am not surprised about these findings. Growing up in a stimulating environment is very different than growing up without much interaction, fearful of not having a good meal the next day, subjected to noise pollution as well as other pollutants, etc. The brain develop very differently. That's why schools provide free lunches, for example, to SES students. A hungry body, a stressed mind, and a worried soul will create obstacles on being able to concentrate in the classroom, therefore, diminishing the learning experience.
DeleteI agree with your point, Lenny. I can't remember who I was talking about this with in class the other day, but it goes back to "Maslow's hierarchy of needs". If one's basic needs aren't met, individuals cannot feel safe, reach love or belonging, develop self esteem or become "self-actualized". Perhaps this link might help explain more:
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs