The document discusses the impact of poverty on children's educational outcomes in the United States. It notes that over 13 million US children lived in poverty in 1998, and children make up 40% of those in poverty, despite being only 26% of the population. Living in poverty has been found to negatively affect children's school readiness, achievement, and cognitive ability. Longitudinal studies controlling for other factors have shown that both the timing and duration of poverty influence these educational outcomes, with early and persistent poverty tending to have more negative effects.