A controversial book for some, but does address many of the complex problems that plague those who are trapped in poverty.

As someone who is from the Working Class and has lived through poverty, I agree with many of Payne's points.
Individual responsibility and a decent education are key to helping raise someone out of poverty, or at the very least, to help them improve their own quality of life.

Poverty is a complex problem, many factors come into play. This book addresses many of the factors with regards to education and personal responsibility. It is not a cure-all, but address one part of a very complex problem.
The best way to understand poverty is to live in a council estate, work at a community centre, and/or actually experience what its like to suffer throughout life as being poor. A lot of Middle-Class Teachers do not have that experience, some will find this book controversial because it approaches the problems as people from poverty experience them.

Give the book a read, but do so with an open mind. It is not a perfect book but is worth a read.

n  Building High-Achieving Schoolsn

The book is primarily directed at building a model for combating poverty by tackling them at the earliest level of perpetuation - in schools.

Schools, Payne advocates, should be our first line of defense against encroaching poverty and also our most effective weapon to beat it back. Unlike most economic tools, schools can be fine-tuned and  deployed according to strict frameworks.

The thrust is thus primarily on how to deal with poverty in schools and how to equip the students with tools and education to fight their way out of it.

For this teachers have to understand what poverty is and the disadvantages that characterize poverty — these are usually classed as inherent problems of the students, instead they have to be reframed as disadvantages that are the duty of the teachers to correct in any decent school environment.

The ‘Framework’ in the title is then a Framework for the Teachers.

A Framework For Teachers

Payne uses what he calls an ‘Additive Model’, implicit throughout this book, as a vital tool for better understanding and addressing poverty, as well as the underlying factors that perpetuate it.

Some of the most important aspect of the Model are:

1. Identifies the mindsets and patterns that individuals use to survive different economic environments-and provides a vocabulary to talk about it.

2. Identifies strengths and resources already found in the individual, family, school, and community-and adds new information and a new perspective for creating and growing resources.

3. Offers economic diversity as a prism through which individuals and schools can analyze and respond to their issues.

4. Identifies skills, theories of change, program designs, partnerships, and ways of building schools where students achieve.

5. Encourages the development of strategies to respond to all causes of poverty.

Poverty & Its Baggages

An individual brings with him/her the hidden rules of the class in which he/she was raised. Even though the income of the individual may rise significantly, many of the patterns of thought, social interaction, cognitive strategies, etc., remain with the individual.

Schools and businesses operate from middle-class norms and use the hidden rules of middle class. These norms and hidden rules are not directly taught in schools or in businesses.

For our students to be successful, we must understand their hidden rules and teach them the rules that will make them successful at school and at work. We can neither excuse students nor scold them for not knowing; as educators we must teach them and provide support, insistence, and expectations.

Out of Poverty: A Resource-Kit

To move from poverty to middle class or middle class to wealth, an individual must give up relationships for achievement (at least for some period of time). Two things that help one move out of poverty are:

a. Education and

b. Relationships.


Leaving poverty could indeed be a conscious exercise. Four reasons one chooses to leave poverty are:

1. It’s too painful to stay,

2. A vision or goal,

3. A key relationship, or

4. A special talent or skill.


Typically, poverty is thought of in terms of financial resources only. However, the reality is that financial resources, while extremely important, do not explain the differences in the success with which individuals leave poverty nor the reasons that many stay in poverty. The ability to leave poverty is more dependent upon other resources than it is upon financial resources. Each of these resources plays a vital role in the success of an individual:

1. FINANCIAL: Having the money to purchase goods and services.

2. EMOTIONAL: Being able to choose and control emotional responses, particularly to negative situations, without engaging in self-destructive behavior. This is an internal resource and shows itself through stamina, perseverance, and choices.

3. MENTAL: Having the mental abilities and acquired skills (reading, writing, computing) to deal with daily life.

4. SPIRITUAL: Believing in divine purpose and guidance.

5. PHYSICAL: Having physical health and mobility.

6. SUPPORT SYSTEMS: Having friends, family, and backup resources available to access in times of need. These are external resources.

7. RELATIONSHIPS/ROLE MODELS: Having frequent access to adult(s) who are appropriate, who are nurturing to the child, and who do not engage in self-destructive behavior.

8. KNOWLEDGE OF HIDDEN RULES: Knowing the unspoken cues and habits of a group.

The education system should be able to equip the students with these vital resources.

Knowledge Of Hidden Rules

This aspect might sound a bit esoteric and bears illumination with a couple of examples:

1. The importance of Socially Accepted Language:

All the state testsSAT, ACT, etc. are require an understanding of formal language (called ‘the formal register’). It is further complicated by the fact that to get a well-paying job, it is expected that one will be able to use formal register. Ability to use formal register is a hidden rule of the middle class. The inability to use it will knock one out of an interview in two or three minutes. The use of formal register, on the other hand, allows one to score well on tests and do well in school and higher education.

This use of formal register is further complicated by the fact that these students do not have the vocabulary or the knowledge of sentence structure and syntax to use formal register. When student conversations in the casual register are observed, much of the meaning comes not from the word choices, but from the non-verbal assists. To be asked to communicate in writing without the non-verbal assists is an overwhelming and formidable task, which most of them try to avoid. It has very little meaning for them.

Another aspect:

Another version of this is noticeable in educated people from the lower segments of society: They often they turn out too formal in their language. And thus cant function so well in intimate/casual social settings, which are also essential for career progression.

In a school setting this means that:

• Formal register needs to be directly taught.

• Casual register needs to be recognized as the primary discourse for many students.

• Students need to be told how much the formal register affects their ability to get a well-paying job.

• Students need to be told the importance of being adaptive in their registers.

2. The importance of learning to Manage Money:

One of the biggest difficulties in getting out of poverty is managing money and just the general information base around money. How can you manage something you've never had? Money is seen in poverty as an expression of personality and is used for entertainment and relationships. The notion of using money for security is truly grounded in the middle and wealthy classes.

The above are only a couple of simple examples, the reality is much more complex and requires much greater effort from the educational system.

Being in poverty is rarely about a lack of intelligence or ability. Many individuals stay in poverty because they don't know there is a choice-and if they do know that, have no one to teach them hidden rules or provide resources. Schools are virtually the only places where students can learn the choices and rules of the middle class.

Teachers must recognize a larger role: as Motivators + Educators + Enablers, so must the school system and the governments.

It is time we mobilized this important weapon in the fight against poverty.

I don't have a background in poverty or young education. therefore this book was both a little outside of my knowledge base and comfort zone. I found it to be fairly enlightening even if it was presented in highly academic terms. well I'm sure educators are the most heavily targeted audience for this I would more recommend this book for anybody who hasn't had in-depth experience with poverty up close and personal. too often poverty is defined as just referring to money whereas a more accurate description shows that it is about resources or lack thereof. it is also interesting that poverty breeds a specific subculture of communication and learning. it is very different than the rest of the population grew up learning about the world. this is a good book for broadening Horizons for most people I think.

This was a book given to me by my principal at my new school as a recommendation to help me understand the population I am currently teaching. As such, I combed through it as if studying any textbook for a class I was taking seriously; my principal recommended it to me so it is kind of job-dependent.

How did I feel reading this book? I like quizzes so enjoyed that aspect. Dr Payne has included many of them. But here are the rest of my impressions: offended (especially by the invented sample dialogues), bored, and unsatisfied. The book is so oversimplified there is not much to get out of it. It seemed to me a summary of other peoples' work and her interpretations of it. The writing was also quite basic, as if it was written for a middle school reader. It did not have the feel of an academic text.

Apparently, there is an entire professional development program for teachers based on this book but I would never sign up for it. I think paying attention to the factors that play into poverty are important, but that kid who is sitting in front of you is more than these stereotypes provided by Dr Payne - whether poverty, middle, or wealthy class. I know there is a drive to categorize for testing purposes, but I am certain there are better books on reaching our students living in poverty than this one.

One researcher I am interested in investigating further is Reuven Fuerstein, whose research was mentioned by Dr Payne on p 90.

I realize that this book is a bit skimpy on the research, but from a personal standpoint, I found her conclusions to be very spot-on. In fact, I kept recognizing myself in this book; some of the inexplicable behavior I had engaged in in the past suddenly made a great deal of sense to me.

Brilliant, brilliant book. This book has profoundly influenced my understanding of generational poverty and underachievement. It explains the many reasons why I see four-year-olds on the streets of Chicago who blatantly lag behind my not-yet-two-year-old son in a variety of cognitive skills. Sadly, it also explains why those kids have almost no chance of ever catching up.

This book is aimed at teachers, but is written in a bullet-point style that is a quick read and accessible to all audiences. Its lengthy bibliography provides follow-up reading on each topic. I recommend it to every single person.

This book looks wildly devisive...it was recommended to me by a librarian who serves "urban appalachians" in central Ohio.

Ok, having read through this book in an afternoon, I know there must be more to poverty than the situations presented here. It's probably a good "base" or "primer" but all it did was spur me to dig deeper...which quite frankly is never a bad thing.

I'd forgotten being forced to read "A Framework for Understanding Poverty" for a PD in my school a few years ago. It's still used in my district as a basis for a class by the same name.
The tone is condescending rather than authoritative. Having been a very poor kid growing up, I resent academics who blame w/out also assigning some personal accountability for individuals' circumstances, which, as I recall, is the case here.

Favorite quote:

"Yet the role of the social worker, educator, or employer is not to save the individual but rather to offer a support system, role models and opportunities to learn which will increase the likelihood of the person’s success. Ultimately, the choice always belongs to the individual."

Couldn’t finish, her deficit ideology is trash.

Generational versus situational poverty

As has always been whispered, the best indication of success is where you came from. That is hardly a politically correct method of discussing poverty. But, Payne does a better discussion of poverty than this old saw.

Situational poverty can happen because of a divorce, employment termination, medical condition, or other unforeseen factors which dumps the individual presumably temporarily in poverty. From this the individual may escape back into a higher strata of economic well-being. This person may have the resources and knowledge base to move back to the previous level.

Not so the generational poverty victims described in Payne’s book... The case studies here fully describe the dismal reality of those stuck in poverty, those who lack the formal language skills and actual appearance which separates them from those more likely to be hired or to succeed in general. The language skills are not white talk, rather green talk, the power of money. And, these skills will not be learned without a buy in on the student’s part.

Unspoken cues and habits of a group lock them into a strata difficult to leave, although it is always easier to go down than up. The life styles of poverty, middle class, wealth and trust funds are remarkably different. Moving up a step means discarding those cues and habits and probably associates and family of the previous level. Apparently, marriage/cohabitation between two different levels can be very stressful.

Generational poverty tends to be self-reinforcing and is passed down to the next generation as a navigational key. Often, this involves matriarchal and chaotic relationships. Early pregnancies are common. (Locally, poverty women have been overheard saying they pick the “fathers” of their children by their lack of genetic capital in order that their children will support them with S.S.I. Our superintendent confirms there is an element who ask their children to be placed in “special ed. ” to generate S.S.I. funding.)

Thus, on the national average, students who bring middle-class culture with them are slowly decreasing in percentage.

Children of poverty often are forced to assume adult roles. Positive affirmations are needed because they lack such resources in their own environment. Such children view discipline differently than their upper level peers.

As a group, children in poverty are more likely to experience developmental delay, perform worse on conative and achievement tests, and experience more behavioral and emotional problems than their more advantaged peers.

According to Payne, the condition of poverty can actually change the function of the brain. Poor diets and hunger lead to poor cognitive functioning and greater difficulty in learning. And, Betsy DeVoss says there is no such thing as a free lunch.

According to the book, 41% of U.S. children are either in poverty or near poverty, creating disadvantages that will haunt them the rest of their lives. And, it is much harder to get out of generational poverty than situational poverty.

Payne does a terrific job of describing the dilemma, but, once again, no real solutions are offered. Teachers and others who thoughtfully read these pages may be in a better position to attempt improving the situation of those stuck in generational poverty, but, until a full support system is available visible improvements will be difficult to verify.

Sixth edition, 2019.

The book is directed to educators but much can be gained for anyone wanting to understand issues in dealing with poverty and how one can best help. These are my notes from the book.


Chapter 1 - Definition and /resources

tEight resources that have an impact on poverty

Financial

Emotional

Mental

Spiritual

Physical

Support System

Relationships/Role Models

Knowledge of Hidden Rules

Poverty scenarios and then a brief discussion

tTake Aways:

Relationships are more important in generational poverty than money

Extra money might as well be enjoyed or shared with others

Discipline is about forgiveness not change

Food is equated with love

When emotional resources are absent, the slide to poverty is almost guaranteed

Poverty is more about other resources than it is about money (list above)


Chapter 2 - The Role of Language and Story

Five registers of language explained. The biggest difference being formal (typically wealthier person) and casual (typically person in poverty). 

Biggest takeaway: A person in poverty may be turned off almost immediately by an interviewer for a job because they don’t know how to speak formally (complete sentences, telling a story or about themselves in an organized fashion).

My thought - some of this has to do with personality and is not so clear cut in classes of wealth and poverty although I can see the generalization.


Chapter 3 - Hidden Rules Among Classes

3 quizzes to see if you know the rules of poverty, middle class and wealthy.

I overlapped in many of the classes. I did not find one that fit in some of the categories. It’s missing the class of Christian values / hidden rules.

It helps to see generalizations of rules within classes but I’m one not to like putting people in boxes which this does.

Any interesting question would be. Where should we be as a Christian in each of these hidden rules? or What are the hidden rules of a Chrisitan or church group?


Chapter 4 - Characteristics of Generational Poverty

Provides understanding of generational poverty and the difficulty of breaking out of that culture.


Chapter 5 - Role Models & Emotional Resources

Case study of a girl who had to take on adult roles while a child

Development should be Dependence - Independence - Interdependence

Biggest Takeaway: In order to move out of poverty one must trade off some relationships for achievement at least for a period of time. This shows the importance of new role models and emotional support systems.


Chapter 6 - Support Systems

Support systems include: Coping strategies; options during problem solving; information and know-how; temporary relief from emotional, mental, financial, and/or time restraints; connections to other people and resources; positive self-talk; procedural self-talk.

The chapter centers on how these can be built into the school system.

My thought: These elements could also be achieved in a smaller personal setting or within church, mission or children’s programs or misnistries. If we want to help others we have to care and become involved in their lives.


Chapter 7 - Discipline

List of negative behaviors and good ways to respond.

3 Voices:

Child: Defensive, victimized, emotional, whining, losing attitude, strongly negative non-verbal

Parent: Authoritative, directive, judgmental, evaluative, win-lose mentality, demanding, punitive, sometimes threatening.

Adult: Non-judgemental, free of negative non-verbal, factual, often in question format, attitude of win-win.

Kids in poverty often have child and parent voice but not adult

Reason - often have to act as parent to other children or maybe even their parents

For this reason they don’t respond well to parent voice, teacher needs to use adult voice and help them find their adult voice.

Using metaphor stories to help a child work through a problem or negative behavior. 


Chapter 8 - Instruction and Improving Achievement

This chapter is focused on ways to better teach. Focus should be on the student learning rather than just teaching.

The book is really directed to teachers, which the title does not indicate. While a lot of the chapters provide some good information for non teachers to understand and use in working with those in poverty, this chapter provides very little information to help the non teacher.


Chapter 9 - Creating Relationships

First sentence in chapter: The key to achievement for students from poverty is creating relationships with them. (It’s interesting that this chapter with THE KEY is only 5 pages - shortest chapter of the book, although what is there is very good.)

When students who have been in poverty (and have successfully made it into the middle class) are asked how they made the journey, the answer nine times out of ten has to do with a relationship.

In order to build a good relationship one must make deposits (not withdrawals) from the person. List of deposits made to an individual in poverty:

Appreciation for humor and entertainment provided by the individual. (Not put down or sarcasm about the humor or the individual.)

Acceptance of what the individual cannot say about a person or situation. (Not insistence or demands for a full explanation about a person or situation.)

Respect for the demands and priorities of relationships. (Not insistence on the middle-class view of relationships.)

Using the adult voice. (Not using the parent voice.)

Assisting with goal setting. (Not telling the individual his/her goals.)

Identifying options related to available resources. (Not making judgments on the value and availability of resources.)

Understanding the importance of personal freedom, speech and individual personality. (Not assigning negative character traits to the individual.)


Conclusion

1 page then a bunch of statistical charts on poverty. (Not much of a conclusion)

One paragraph on the reality of grieving when working with individuals in poverty.

Main conclusion: Just because you are helping to provide choices for those in poverty does not mean that they will change. It is our responsibility to do what we can (as taught in this book) to help an individual but then we need to allow them to make their choices.


36 Pages of research notes which I just glimpsed through - very impressive.