Mrs. Taylor, a kindergarten teacher, is worried that a child in her class, Molly, may be homeless. One of Molly's friends came to school and told Mrs. Taylor that she saw Molly and her family sleeping under the pavilion at a local campground. What kinds of behaviors or difficulties can Mrs. Taylor expect from Molly in the classroom due to her home situation? Would these behaviors be considered "abnormal" given Molly's situation?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Student responses may vary but should address the following characteristics associated with students who are homeless. Children who are homeless often exhibit behaviors such as inattention, aggression, frustration, and diminished academic achievement in the learning environment. Furthermore, children who are homeless have greater likelihoods of exhibiting delays in speech, short attention spans, poor impulse control, withdrawal, developmental delays, and greater social–emotional difficulties. If Molly were to begin to exhibit any of these behaviors, it would not be atypical considering her situation at home. Molly's family may also have difficulties supplying immunization records to the school or meeting guardianship requirements. They may also have difficulties securing transportation which may begin to impact Molly's school attendance. These are all "warning signs" that Mrs. Taylor could be looking for in Molly.