Professor Speaks on Childhood Poverty & the Brain

Growing up in generational poverty has a huge impact on how children develop and learn, according to Twyla Smith, an assistant professor of social work and director of field education at Andrews University in Oronoko Township. 

One example, she said, is that on average, children growing up in poverty hear fewer words than children who grow up in middle class or wealthy households.

“There’s research that indicates that children who are from poverty hear 13 million words by the time they’re 4 years old, versus 26 million words (for children) from the middle class,” she said. “... If you are from a household where you have Ph.D-level parents, you actually are exposed to 45 million words by the time you are 4 years old.”

She said that by not hearing as many words, children who grow up in poverty have smaller vocabularies on average than other children by the time they enter school, and this affects their ability to learn. 

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