In this essay, we consider recent narratives in the science of brain development under poverty in relation to the older idea of the culture of poverty. We argue that in theorizing poor parenting and deficient linguistic stimulation as the primary pathways of influence through which poverty exerts its damaging effects on the brain, brain science…

Studies in low-resource settings suggest that multiple aspects of early childhood development are sensitive to the relative poverty of a child's environment. We examined whether direct, quantitative measures of early developing cognitive functions show a similar association with relative poverty. Eye movement latencies were recorded in children at…

This case study explores effective practices within a district's early care and education model. Interviews were conducted with eight parents of high-performing students and seven district ECE partners from Promise City. The results of this case study lead to the development of a model that comprises best practices within the (a) informal ECE…

The purpose of this case study was to investigate a segment of a data set collected as part of a larger ethnographic study exploring the early language and literacy practices of one unique preschool programme, selected for its unusually high outcomes for children in typically underserved populations. The original study explored administrators'…

The income-achievement gap is a significant and stubborn problem in the United States, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we link two emerging literatures that have historically been disparate: the neurobiology of poverty as a form of early life stress, and research on educational policies with the potential to…

This paper reports on the findings of a natural experiment based on a sample of 1123 children aged 4-8 from the provinces of Punjab in Pakistan, and Gujarat in India. It looks at the impact of attendance (or not) in early schooling on the cognitive and social-emotional development of young children. The role of school attendance was assessed over…

Dysregulation of diurnalcortisol rhythms is often seen among children exposed to early adversity and has been associated with a variety of negative physical and mental health outcomes. The present study examined whether two indicators of deprivation, sociodemographic burden and observed parental insensitivity, were associated with child diurnal…

Interest in two-generation approaches to improve the developmental outcomes of children and their caregivers and the economic well-being of families has increased amid persistent child and family poverty worldwide. Grounded in a dual developmental science perspective and the theory of linked lives, these approaches maximize developmental potential…

Introduction: In Malawi, over 43% of children under five are at risk of not achieving their full developmental potential due to factors like poverty and limited access to essential services. Despite significant advancements in early childhood development (ECD) policies, research on the quality dimensions of ECD centres remains scarce. This study…

According to the International Labor Organization, at least 160 million children ages 5 to 17 around the world were involved in some form of child labor at the beginning of 2020, including 79 million children performing hazardous labor. This article uses recent representative data from Bangladesh and Pakistan to investigate the relationship…

"Pashe Achhi" is a telecommunication model that emerged out of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh to provide support to 0- to 5-year-old children and their caregivers through mobile-to-mobile phone calls. It is a caregiver-child facing and/or only caregiver focused, low-resource, low-tech model that constitutes a 20-minute phone call.…

Data on attaining indicators of early speech, language, and literacy development, notably phonological awareness, among children with visual impairments (VI) are limited. This U.S. study utilized the "National Survey of Children's Health" (NSCH), 2016-2020, to observe the distinctive population of children with VI and speech, language,…

Background: Drawing on the family stress model (Conger and Donnellan in Ann Rev Psychol 58:175-199, 2007. https://doi-org.bibliotheek.ehb.be/10.1146/annurev.psych.58.110405.085551), parenting programs typically support caregivers' nurturing and cognitively stimulating practices to mitigate the effects of poverty on child development, with small-to-moderate…

The early childhood years are critical for developing executive function (EF) and theory of mind (ToM). Prior literature suggests a robust relationship between EF and ToM; however, this relationship has seldom been investigated in children living in poverty. In addition, few studies have employed comprehensive ToM measures to explore how EF…

Studies from high-income populations have shown that stimulating, supportive communicative input from parents promote children's cognitive and language development. However, fewer studies have identified specific features of input supporting the healthy development of children growing up in low- or middle-income countries. The current study…