Sociology 322 Week Five: Families Overcoming Obstacles

Essay Questions Assignment # 3 Due On or Before September 27, 2015

1. What are some characteristics of homeless families? What are the unique educational challenges
of children who experience homelessness?

Many families are facing homelessness across the United States. The way homelessness

is perceived has changed over the years. Those who are homeless can be of any age. They can be

teenagers, and young adults that do not have a home. Those experiencing homelessness can also

be underemployed fathers and mothers along with their children.

Children who experience homelessness have unique educational challenges. For example,

children who are homeless move 3.6 times in a year. This affects the childs educations because

the child will not attend school regularly or will attend 3 or more different schools within a year.

Homelessness will also cause higher rates of developmental delays, which include speech

problems and other learning disabilities.

2. What issues do children face who live in neighborhoods characterized by violence? What steps
can schools take to lessen the negative impact of violence?

Some of the issues children who live in neighborhoods characterized by violence face are

anxiousness, fearfulness, or withdrawal. These are symptoms that are referred to as internalizing

problems. These children are also vulnerable to being victimized by different forms of

interpersonal violence such as domestic violence. Children who live in violent neighborhoods will

likely develop a view of the world that is dangerous and hostile. Children have voiced their

feelings and share that they are scared of being mistaken for someone else and shot at while they

walk along the street.

To lesson the negative impact of violence, teachers and the school may help to establish a

before and after school program where the students can be supervised while the families are not at

home. They should work together to provide tutoring, homework help, counseling, community
 service, and recreation for the students. In the classroom, teachers should help students learn

conflict resolution skills through direct teaching and everyday classroom activities. They should

helps students manage their anger, solve problems, negotiate with peers, listen actively, and

communicate effectively. These programs and lessons can play an important role in keeping the

students safe and reducing violence among the youth.

3. In the journal article, First Grade and Educational Attainment by Age 22, the authors discuss
how parent expectations affect childrens educational attainment. Explain what the authors mean
by parent expectations and provide four examples of how they have a positive effect on childrens
educational experiences and outcomes.

Parent expectations are formed before children start the first grade. Parent who have high

expectations expect that their children receive high marks. Parent expectations are social

resources available to children in varying degrees. For example, there are parents who have hight

expectations and lower expectations. Depending on the expectations they have may also affect

how involved they are in their childs education.

The expectations the parent has of their child will lead their children to be active in class

and to participate more. For example, parents who have high expectations will; read to their

children more, see childs school records more often, ensure their children borrow books from

libraries during the summer, and take their children on more summer trips. All of these activities

have a positive effect on the childs educational experience and their outcomes.