Reading, writing, math, science, and other skills learned in school are critical for a child to succeed in both higher education and life. Many factors contribute to a student's acquisition of these skills, such as the learning environment, preschool education, mental and emotional development, parental involvement, and dedication to learning. The problem many young children face, however, is that all of these factors can be greatly influenced by their family's socioeconomic status (SES). Unfortunately, until recently it was virtually unknown how teachers could help these “at risk” children, which caused an increase in the likelihood of children dropping out of school or repeating a grade. However, it is now becoming clear that there are ways in which educators can help ensure that children have successful academic careers and lead better lives. Parental support has been shown to be extremely important to a child's literacy success. This often begins with the simple ritual of “bedtime stories” at home. Studies show that children who are read to as infants do better in literacy later in life. From an early age, children begin to understand how the written word works if they are exposed to it frequently. Children who have nowhere near the mental capacity to read and understand a book are still able to "follow along" when their parents or guardians read to them. These children understand that each segment of writing represents a word and are able to recognize even when a text is upside down because they are accustomed to the appearance of writing. This puts the child much further ahead when it comes time to learn to read. Unfortunately for many children who com...... middle of paper ......Name wallpapers. Deakin, Australia: Deakin University.Howard, T., Dresser, S., & Dunklee, D. (2009). Poverty is not a learning disability. Poverty is NOT a Learning Disability: Equal Opportunity for Low-SES Students (p. 20). Thousand Oaks: Corwin.Lee, V. E., & Burkam, D. T. (2002). Inequality at the start: Social background differences in outcomes when children start school. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute.New, R. S., & Cochran, M. (2007). Socioeconomic status. Early childhood education: An international encyclopedia (p. 749). Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers.Rose, M. (1989). Lives on the Border: The Struggles and Achievements of Unprepared Americans. New York: Free Press. Stigler, J. W., & Hiebert, J. (1999). The teaching gap: Top ideas from teachers around the world for improving classroom instruction. New York: Free Press.