Just as your students will have varied cultural backgrounds, speak many languages, and have differing academic abilities, they will also come from various socioeconomic (SES) levels. A family's income impacts the resources that are available to children, and in turn influences the type and amount of learning activities that are supported in the home.

According to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, a family of four is considered to be living in poverty if the annual income is $18,850 or less. Statistics on New Mexico's children show that:

• New Mexico has the 3^rd highest poverty rate in the country, with 24% of the state's children living in poverty. Only Arkansas and the District of Columbia have higher poverty rates.
• 57% of schoolchildren are on free or reduced lunch.

The impact of income level on learning

The degree to which knowledge is accessible to a child is influenced by the resources in that child's life. Middle- and upper-income families have more disposable income, which results in learning enhancements in the form of books, magazines, computer software, trips to museums, zoos, camps, and vacations. Children in middle- and upper-income families also have greater participation in extracurricular opportunities that promote socialization through sports activities, dance or music lessons, and various clubs and hobbies (Rothstein, 2004).

In contrast, low-income and poverty create additional challenges that influence a child's ability to concentrate, access information, study, and get along well with peers...all of which are important foundations for school success. These challenges include:

Low parental educational levels Unemployment Employment at multiple low-paying jobs Physical abuse and neglect Delayed language development Poor nutrition Lead exposure Poverty-level schools that have limited access to enriched/advanced courses and lack highly qualified personnel

Parental substance abuse Dangerous neighborhoods Homelessness High mobility Limited access to health care Prenatal exposure to toxins Low birth weight

As a result, children of poverty often exhibit different academic, behavioral, and social skills than their middle- and upper-income peers.

Erica Volkers Santa Fe Community College

Erica Volkers, Santa Fe Community College, provides some concrete examples of how socioeconomic status affects learning. (Time: 1:29) View Transcript

Socioeconomic-based perceptions

Teachers must also be aware that perceptions of concepts such as education and time, and means of dealing with issues like money and possessions can vary not only among cultures, but also among socioeconomic levels. Remember, a teacher's job is to gather information on his or her students, rather than making assumptions. It is important to find out if a family's perceptions and beliefs differ from that of the middle-income school setting. Not all families living in poverty can be categorized as thinking, believing, or acting a certain way. Furthermore, families from high poverty backgrounds in rural areas have very different characteristics than families in high poverty urban areas.

Spending Choices It is three weeks into the new school year. Mrs. Arellano, a 10th grade English teacher in an urban high school, is frustrated that many of her students are still without the required materials for her class: a 3-ring binder, a package of college-ruled notebook paper, two pencils, and two ball point pens. Because of this, her well-planned lessons are disrupted as students try to borrow materials from their peers. Today she began holding the "materials offenders" after class and lecturing them on responsibility and the importance of being prepared for class. Many of the students in her 1st, 2nd, and 3rd period classes claimed that they simply didn't have the money to buy the items. Ms. Arellano didn't believe them, noting that many of these same students wear very expensive tennis shoes and talk before class about the dozens of CDs and DVDs that they own. Furthermore, the supplies that she has requested cost less than $10. However, during lunch she discovered that many of these students do indeed qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. "I just don't understand how these low-income families can justify the expensive clothes and entertainment costs when they won't even buy their children's school supplies," she complains to a colleague. Ms. Arellano wonders whether she should continue talking to her 5th and 6th period classes, considering what she's learned from her morning students. Erica Volkers provides some insight into the lives of these low-income, urban students and subsequent recommendations for Ms. Arellano. Erica Volkers Santa Fe Community College Spending decisions (Time: 1:05) View Transcript Recommendations for Ms. Arellano (Time: 2:18) View Transcript