Abstract:
While there is a considerable body of research which shows that children from socioeconomically disadvantaged families experience lack of success at school, there is presently little understanding of what the variables are that lead to children reared in poverty entering school without the characteristics required for educational success.. The present longitudinal study is based on the view that the effects of poverty on children's development are cumulative. It seeks to identify the effects on the development of children living in poverty of (a) parental expectations, (b) parent knowledge of child development, (c) child rearing practices, (d) nature of parental interaction from birth, and (e) parental relationships with children. The study contrasts the development during the first year of life of 35 children from socially disadvantaged families with 35 children from socially advantaged families. The families were selected from those attending the ante-natal clinic of two Sydney hospitals, one in Western Sydney and one on the North Shore on the basis of indicators of poverty or affluence. The parents were interviewed during the ante-natal period, followed by home visits at 6 months, and at 12 months to observe their babies development.The paper contrasts the data from the disadvantaged and the advantaged parents from the ante-natal interview about their plans and expectations for the care, education, and development of their babies.