Disadvantaged children face a host of challenges to academic success. These challenges fall into two broad categories. First, as one might expect, wealthier parents have the resources to provide more and better learning opportunities for their children. Second, children from poorer homes are subject to chronic stress, which research from the last 10 years has shown is more destructive to learning than was previously guessed. But research also shows it's not all about money. Research shows that besides social service supports, a classroom teacher's warmth toward and high expectations for disadvantaged children can help them reach their potential. (Contains 79 endnotes.)