Introduction
Middle school. Do those two words fill you with fear, or excitement?
Development during the early adolescent years is a critical and often very difficult time. A lot of things happen and our young brains can have a really hard time understanding why. This webquest is designed to help you understand the mind and body of the early adolescent child so you can better connect with them as teachers, parents, and classmates.
Task
Let's start with this video, which will give you a good introduction to what students are going through when they enter early adolescence.
http://visual.pearsoncmg.com/mypsychlab/development/index.php?clipId=36
As you go through the remaining resources, think about how different groups (teachers, parents, and students) can approach early adolescence in a positive way. Take notes and prepare to provide strategies for each group to succeed.
Process
From middle childhood to early adolescence
Cognitive Development
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Middle Childhood |
Early Adolescence |
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Concrete Operational Stage Student at this age use language as a communication tool. Perspective taking: They can recognize difference between behavior and intent and can start to accurately recognize and consider others’ viewpoints. They have more effective coping skills and can understand how their behavior affects others. |
Formal operations begin in early adolescence and are more developed in middle and late adolescence. Students can think hypothetically: calculate consequences of thoughts and actions without experiencing them; consider a number of possibilities and plan behavior accordingly. The can identify and reject hypotheses or possible outcomes based on logic. They can think hypothetically, abstractly, logically. Insight, perspective taking: understand and consider others’ perspectives, and perspectives of social systems Systematic problem solving: can attack a problem, consider multiple solutions, plan a course of action Cognitive development is uneven, and impacted by emotionality |
From the perspective of Piaget, students at this age are moving from the concrete operational stage to the formal operational stage. Students begin to think more in the abstract, and can ponder hypothetical questions.
Please start with this introduction to the formal operational stage:
Piaget's Formal Operational Stage: Definition & Examples - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com
An introduction to Erikson's 8 stages.
Social/Emotional Development
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Middle Childhood |
Early Adolescence |
|
Students at this age understand concepts of right and wrong and use rules to guide behavior and play. This provides them with structure and security. Early (around 5 years old): believe rules can be changed 7 years old: strict adherence to rules 9 years old: rules can be negotiated Students can take on more responsibilities at home. They spend less time on fantasy play and more on team sports and board games. Their self esteem is based on their ability to perform and produce. They are more sensitive to other’s opinions about themselves. |
Students psychologically distance self from parent and identify with peer group. Social status is largely related to group membership. Fitting in depends on following specific rules of different groups and conforming. They focus a lot on physical appearance and early or late development. Many students at this age want to be independent from adults as their friends become a bigger part of their lives. Emotionally students at this age may start to seek out more risky behavior and more intense emotional experiences.
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Physical Development
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Middle Childhood |
Early Adolescence |
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Slow, steady growth: 3 -4 inches per year Use physical activities to develop gross and fine motor skills Motor & perceptual motor skills better integrated
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Growth spurt: Girls: 11-14 yrs Puberty: Girls: 11-14 yrs Youth acclimate to changes in body |
The experience of going through puberty is one of the biggest changes in our lives. Read this to get a great overview of the physical changes and what it means for children:
https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/puberty.html
As you can see, growth and sexual development of students is a lot to handle. This isn't easy!
Challenges of Adolescence
Now that we know a little more about the development of students, lets think about some of the challenges they are going through:
- More and more is asked of them academically.
- Peers are becoming more important, though finding support in peers can be more challenging.
- They are changing rapidly, which is disorienting and uncomfortable
- They are changing at different rates than their peers
Aside from those universal issues, a student's culture and ethnicity effect development also.
Different cultures can be perceived differently, and these perceptions and stereotypes become more pronounced in adolescence. As more is expected of students academically they may feel pressure to conform to certain stereotypes or succeed in certain ways. This could be from family, teachers, or peers.
Please spend a few minutes to watch this video about adolescence and identity:
Staying Healthy
How can schools and students stay healthy during this stage? Review the following and make a list:
https://beyou.edu.au/fact-sheets/wellbeing/nutrition-and-mental-health
(Taken from above) Schools can:
- only offer healthy foods in school canteens and vending machines
- provide clean drinking water fountains
- develop a school vegetable garden and incorporate cooking activities in class using the produce you’ve grown
- incorporate breaks for students to eat fruit and vegetables in class
- allow students to bring water bottles into the classroom
- be a positive role model and pack your own healthy food
- use non-food rewards (pencils, stickers) instead of sweet treats
- create partnerships with the local community (such as local food growers or food markets) and utilise these partners in school projects, work experience opportunities
- apply for funding to provide fresh fruit and vegetables in class at least once a week.
https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=healthy-eating-during-adolescence-90-P01610 - This website provides information and tips for eating healthy as an adolescent.
Strategies for teachers and parents
Early Adolescents need:
- positive social interaction with adults and peers
- structure and clear limits
- physical activity
- creative expression
- competence and achievement
- meaningful participation in families, school and communities
- opportunities for self-definition
The middle school classroom will attempt to meet many of these needs, but how can teachers prepare students for the change?
Read this article and take down notes about what teachers can do:
http://www.nea.org/tools/16657.htm - Ways teachers and parents can help the transition to middle school.
As you can see,
These websites have more strategies to add to your list:
http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-prepare-middle-school - Specific teaching strategies for 5th grade teachers.
https://www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/mlem/perspective.pdf - A teacher writes about living with and teaching early adolescent children.
Parents play an especially important role, and one that they must prepare for. Parents should:
- Show love – You don’t have to love what they do, but love them.
- Teach responsibility --They need chores and activities that they are expected to follow through with
- Be a role model – Show them the behaviors you want them to follow
- Set limits – Structure will help them physically and emotionally safe.
- Provide support – They need praise and encouragement.
Following are resources to help parents prepare. All give useful tips to help understand and support a young adolescent.
https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/talk-about-puberty.html - How to talk about puberty.
https://nortonhealthcare.com/news/preparing-yourself-and-your-kids-for-puberty - Getting ready for puberty; knowledge and strategies.
https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/school-life/grade-by-grade/preparing-middle-school.html - Information for parents about preparing children for middle school.
This exhaustive resource is a must-have for teacher and parents of students who are entering early adolescence.
https://www2.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/adolescence/adolescence.pdf
Credits
8 Stages of Development by Erik Erikson. (2017, April 23). Retrieved April 13, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=10&v=aYCBdZLCDBQ
Adolescence: Identity and Role Development and Ethnicity(n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2019, from http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MEDIA_1/psychology/videos…
Cox, J. (n.d.). Teaching Strategies to Prepare for Middle School. Retrieved from http://www.teachhub.com/teaching-strategies-prepare-middle-school
Dowshen, S. (Ed.). (2015, October). All About Puberty (for Kids). Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/puberty.html
Dowshen, S. (Ed.). (2015, January). Talking to Your Child About Puberty (for Parents). Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/talk-about-puberty.html
Episode 8 Adolescence. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://visual.pearsoncmg.com/mypsychlab/development/index.php?clipId=36
Healthy Eating During Adolescence. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=healthy-eating-du…
Helping Your Childe through Early Adolescence. (2005) U.S. Department of Education
Lorian, Peter. (n.d.). Transition to Middle School. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/tools/16657.htm
Middle Childhood (9-11 years old) | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/middle2.html
Nutrition and mental health. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://beyou.edu.au/fact-sheets/wellbeing/nutrition-and-mental-health
Piaget's Stages of Development. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/piagets-formal-operational-stage-definition-examples-quiz.html?wvideo=bgf1ybgg2f
Preparing for Middle School. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/school-life/grade-by-…
Preparing yourself and your kids for puberty. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://nortonhealthcare.com/news/preparing-yourself-and-your-kids-for-puberty
Young Teens (12-14 years old) | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/adolescence.html
Wormeli, R. (n.d.) Living With and Teaching Young Adolescents: A Teacher’s Perspective. Association for Middle Level Education. Retrieved from https://www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/mlem/perspective.pdf