Mechanisms that mitigate the effects of child poverty and improve children's cognitive and social–emotional development: A systematic review

Abstract

The negative effects of poverty on children's development have been examined in many studies. Poverty exerts its influence on children indirectly through mediating pathways, some of which have powerful effects in reducing the impact of early economic deprivation. However, the literature on the mediating mechanisms through which poverty operates and influences children's cognitive and social–emotional development is limited. This review provides a systematic analysis of published and unpublished studies that investigate mediating mechanisms that have been found to be effective in reducing the effects of early childhood poverty and in improving children's cognitive and social–emotional development. The findings of this review suggest that positive parenting and cognitively stimulating home environments have the potential to enhance the developmental outcomes of children living in poverty—in particular, educational materials including books and computers and home learning activities such as reading and counting are salient for the outcomes of children living in poverty. Findings on the effects of early childhood programmes for low‐income children's development and well‐being are also discussed.

“I always think about tomorrow what I'll eat” an exploration of the experiences of adolescents in poor urban contexts in Accra, Ghana

“…According to these adolescents, the desire to gain quality education and interact with their friends gave them the urge and determination to pursue their education. This may be attributed to the quest to experience some sense of belongingness among peer groups in school (Saitadze & Lalayants, 2020). Moreover, higher classmate support among adolescents has been found to be associated with human-related quality of life (Demir & Leyendecker, 2018).…”

“…Child poverty is also associated with low self-esteem (Doi et al, 2019) and reduced life satisfaction (Haanpää et al, 2019). Poverty negatively affects the intellectual development of the child (Saitadze & Lalayants, 2020), leading to a reduced chance of completing high school (Schweiger, 2019), an increased risk of developing fewer skills and subsequently earning lower wages as adults (Blair & Raver, 2016).…”

Parentalidade de mães de crianças na primeira infância durante a pandemia de COVID-19: pesquisa qualitativa

“…Para ambientes familiares positivos e cognitivamente estimulantes, um dos mais importantes foi a presença dos pais juntos aos filhos no cuidado e no brincar com a criança. Os ambientes positivos podem trazer impactos para o desenvolvimento dessas crianças com efeito também para a saúde mental dos pais (20)(21) .…”

“…Esse aspecto pode influenciar no comportamento dos pais e aumentar a probabilidade de práticas parentais severas e controladoras. Essa teoria postula que pais estressados e oprimidos pelas pressões da pobreza podem ser incapazes de atender às necessidades emocionais, cognitivas e de cuidado de seus filhos (23)(24) .…”

Evaluating the psychometrics of the SSIS SEL in a socio‐economically diverse sample

“…Environmental stressors, including poverty and economic disadvantages (e.g., parental unemployment and access to resources), could affect the development and performance rates for children's social‐emotional competencies (Ray et al., 2020; Saitazde & Lalayants, 2020). Poverty could limit access to structured social resources and programs (e.g., social play and recreational sports) that offer rich opportunities to learn, practice and rehearse SEL skills.…”