165). Conclusion:

The number of homeless students in America is staggering, and sadly growing. These children are faced with unique challenges that their peers with homes are not typically plagued with. Homeless students academic efforts are often decimated due to fatigue and poor nutrition. Anxiety and depression affects their ability to concentrate. And, they often have gaps in their knowledge due to the inability to complete their homework as a result of not having the necessary supplies on hand (Noll & Watkins, 2004). Emotional, behavioral, academic, social, and familial problems occur more frequently in this category of students. For this reason, educators and school counselors should be positioned to provide the services and support these children will probably not receive elsewhere.

As Swick (2004) notes,

Educators can positively affect the lives of children and families who are homeless or in other high-risk situations. By understanding the dynamics of what homeless families experience, we can be more responsive to the challenges impeding their functioning. (...)Educators need to realize just how powerful we can be in using the early years of the family's life as a time to strengthen them-thus preventing homelessness or other "housing-distressed" situations,...

& Borkowski, T. (Dec. 2004) Applying the ASCA National Model to elementary school students who are homeless: A case study. Professional School Counseling, 8(2). Retrieved February 10, 2005, from InfoTrac Database.
Noll, E. & Watkins, R. "The impact of homelessness on children's literacy experiences." The Reading Teacher, 57(4). Retrieved February 10, 2005, from ProQuest database.

Swick, K. (2000). Building effective awareness programs for homeless students among staff, peers, and community members. In J. Stronge & E. Reed-Victor (Eds.), Educating homeless students: Promising practices. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Swick, K. (Spring 2004). The dynamics of families who are homeless: Implications for early childhood educators. Childhood Education, 80(3). Retrieved February 10, 2005, from ProQuest database.

Vissing, Y. "The Yellow School Bus Project: Helping homeless students get ready for school." Phi…