Family and Home Environment Factors

Family factors and home environment affect a child's success in the classroom. Children can be going through some hard times at home and come to school for an escape. Some struggles that children can be facing are socioeconomic factors or family structure issues. SpringerOpen authors say, "SES is generally regarded as one of the major variables in explaining student performance, together with institutional variables and other social status indicators such as ethnic background, gender, and other family-related factors." Socio-economoic status can cause discourse in family structures. Parents and/or caregivers can present stress to children in verbal or physical ways and this same stress can be presented in the classroom. If children are not feeling supported in there homes, why should they feel safe and supported in their academics at school? There are many environmental factors that can affect learning success. Success Consciousness speaks on 6 environemental factors that affect children's success in the classroom. In this article it discussess occupation or profession as a factor in seeing the success in a childs academics in the classroom. This factor relates back to socio-economic status. If a child is more priviledged than others, that child will be allowed more access to supports compared to those that aren't priviledged.

Family dynamic gathering together. It is our responsibility as teachers to communicate with parents about what we are seeing in the classroom regarding the child's academics. These conversations can open the parents and teachers up to building a strong relationship that will better support students in their academic career. The conversations through parent and teacher communication could also open the teacher up to information regarding the home environment and family factors. These benefits will help support students and their success in the classroom. It is also important to think heavily on the safety of the child. If a child is struggling academically and struggling with basic amenities, teachers should step up and support where support is needed. There are many programs that are available for students that need help academically or with basic needs. In my hometown of Claiborne County, a very poverty stricken community, students that struggled with basic needs like food and hygiene were offered weekend backpacks. In these weekend backpacks were canned goods and basic hygiene products to get them and their siblings through till that Monday. These programs are great ways to help support students who struggle with family factors and home environments that make it hard to live comfortably.