People in poverty face challenges virtually unknown to those in middle class or wealt- challenges from both obvious and hidden sources. The reality of being poor brings out a survival mentality, and turns attention away from opportunities taken for granted by everyone else.

If you work with people in poverty, some understanding of how different their world is from yours will be invaluable. Whether you're an educator--or a social, health, or legal services professional--this breakthrough book give you practical, real-world support and guidance to improve your effectiveness in working with people from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Check out some of the many helpful charts and summaries in Framework:

• What are the "hidden rules" of poverty, middle class, and wealth?
• 12 key points to remember about poverty
• What percentages of U.S. children live in poverty?
• Take a content-altered IQ test
• Poverty-related behaviors and their interventions
• Symptoms of generational poverty and how they reveal themselves

Since 1995 A Framework for Understanding Poverty has guided hundreds of thousands of educators and other professionals through the pitfalls and barriers faced by all classes especially the poor. Carefully researched and packed with charts, tables, and questionnaires, Framework not only documents the facts of poverty, it provides practical yet compassionate strategies for addressing its impact on people's lives.