Resilient Children Stories of Poverty, Drug Exposure, and Literacy Development

This book defines and examines assumptions about children who were prenatally exposed to crack/cocaine and who have other risk factors that may negatively affect their literacy development. It suggests the 26 children in the study disproved the labels attached to them; they were inquisitive about learning and in most cases were at grade level or above in literacy development. Realization of the importance of overcoming the risk factors and celebrating children's growth as readers and writers were factors contributing to the children's success. Chapters include: "The Beginning of the Study"; "What We Have Learned About Children Prenatally Exposed to Crack/Cocaine"; "Discovering Resilience: The Structure and Results of the Study." Six additional chapters present case studies of individual students. The last chapter discusses why these children's stories are important. Contains 191 references; a table, "Summaries of Literacy Development Year 1 Through Year 4" is attached. (EF)