Haidee Garcia

EDUG 863
Chapter 1-3
April 2, 2015
A Framework for Understanding Poverty: Chapter 1- 3

A Framework for Understanding Poverty by Ruby Payne highlights the importance of

understanding he motivators of all the classes in particular the obstacles encounter by poverty as a way
for educators improve their effective in teaching and helping students from all different socio-economic
backgrounds. The First three chapters gives an insight into the factors that lead students from poverty
to behave or speak in a certain manner.
The first chapter, Definition and Resources introduces the definition of poverty as the extend
to which an individual does without resources The basis of this chapter lies on the concepts of what
are the available resources people of poverty have. It consisted of many different case studies of which
give an outlook of what it is like for a student who has limited resources and how this may impact their
actions and also their success in school. What is interesting about this chapter is that students may lack
not just monetary resources but also emotional, mental, spiritual and physical. A student who has full
access and is surrounded by appropriate role models, language, and even hidden rules of the classes has
an advantage towards being more successful as a student and in life. As an educator is critical to
always bear in mind that these students may not have all the necessary tools that students in middle or
wealthy class. This knowledge should enlighten us to not judge the student or the family instead
attempt to fill those gaps, either through material, social or even emotional support.
Chapter 2 The Role of Language and Story emphasizes the importance of stability in the
home environment for students. It provided the differences that exists between formal and casual
registers as expressed by students. In this chapter, Ruby Payne explains how students that come from

poverty will often use the casual register of language as their primary way to communicate. It is
interesting to note that the language the students hear at home and in their environment will impact the
way they think and speak and use the language. As an educator it is critical to understand this concepts
as it will guide our instruction in teaching students what the formal register of language are, as this will
be a valuable asset in helping students move from poverty into middle class by providing them with the
opportunity to acquire a good job.
Chapter 3 Hidden Rules informs readers of the hidden rules that exist between the poverty,
middle and wealthy classes. This chapter is filled with many models, and charts to help readers
visualize the breakdown of what motivates each of the class. For instance, poverty is driven by a need
to form and maintain relationships, wheres middle class is driven by achievement and the wealthy by
connections. Within this model, Ruby Payne presents the importance of getting to know these hidden
rules or social cues because they inform teachers of how students and their families live, survive, build
and maintain relationships, fulfill their basic needs and ultimately succeed in life. The ultimate goal of
learning these hidden rules is to instruct students on the hidden rules of the middle class so that they are
able to succeed and move up in life.
After reading the first three chapter of A Framework for Understand Poverty I am able to better
understand the different experiences, resources and motivators that students from all of the socio
economic background may have. It really provides teachers information needed to focus on crafting our
sensitivity to our students needs. To be consciously aware of our tendency to sometimes judge students
and their families when they behave, or speak in ways that are unfamiliar to us. Those are moments that
should reflect our professionalism and expertise in our chosen discipline because our purpose as
educator is to prepared students with the necessary tools, whether its emotional, language, or
knowledge that ill empower them and help them succeed in school and even in life.