How can a child's background affect development?

Both answers discuss very valid points about the
disadvantages children have because of negative aspects of their childhood. Both authors
fail to mention the educational impact on children.  From a financial stand point,
children from poverty households do not have the same level of development entering
kindergarten as their more affluent counterparts. For example, according to Susan O'Hara
in her book "Teaching Vocabulary with Hypermedia, 6-12", children age 3 from poverty
households are introduced to half the amount of new words a month as those children who
come from professional households. This difference can impact how students do in school
and later academic accomplishments.

Also the National
Assessment of Educational Progress reports for 2009 show that poverty students in fourth
grade score lower on sstandardized tests than students from households with higher
incomes.

Across the subjects and across ages, poverty has a
negative impact on student achievement. For this reason it is imperative that society
works to overcome these differences.