NELA Middle School Developmental Project

7/30/2019 NELA Middle School Developmental Project

1/16

LawrenceHodgkins

TonyaM.Little

MiddleSchool

December3,2012

Caughtinthemiddle?

ContentsVocabularyp.2

Middleschools(orsometimescalledintermediateschoolsor

juniorhighschools)wereformedintheearlytwentieth

centuryandservetofunctionastheeducationalbridge

betweenprimaryandsecondaryschools.Middleschoolshave

anycombinationofgradessixththroughninth,withtheexact

gradesvaryingbasedoneducationdistrict.Sometimesthe

termmiddleschooldistinctlyreferstoincludinggradessixth

througheight(probablymostcommonlyseventhandeighth

grades)whereasjuniorhighdistinctlyreferstoalsoincluding

ninthgrade.Inordertobesuccessfulforitsstudents,faculty,

andcommunity,middleschoolsmustaddresstheseparate

developmentalneedsofitstransitioningstudents.Ifevery

UnitedStatesmiddleschoolsuccessfullyenactedmiddleschoolphilosophythenmiddleschoolswouldbecomevery

successfulatbridgingthegapbetweenprimaryandsecondary

schoolswhilealsonurturingtheuniquedevelopmentalneedsof

itstransitioningstudents.Schoolsmustemployadvisoryteams,

teamteaching,flexiblescheduling,andstudent-centered

education.Schoolcommunitiesmustreformtoimplementmiddle

schoolphilosophy,whichaddressesthecognitive/intellectual,

social,emotional,andphysicaldevelopmentalneedsofmiddle

schoolstudents.

DevelopmentalResearch

LiteracyandLanguageDevelopmentp.4

CognitiveDevelopmentp.6

MoralDevelopmentp.7

PhysicalDevelopmentp.8

SocialDevelopmentp.10

Emotional/Psychologicalp.11

Motivationp.13

WebSitesp.15

Referencesp.16

DevelopmentalProject


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MiddleSchoolDevelopmentalProject December3,2012

VocabularyAdolescentegocentrism:Theassumptionthateveryone

elsesharesonesthoughts,feelings,andconcerns;

adolescentsbecomeveryfocusedontheirownideas.

Anorexianervosa:self-starvation

Authoritarianparents:Parentswhoarehighincontrol

andlowinwarmthandresponsiveness.Theysetfirm

limitsandexpectchildrenwillfollowordersbecause

theysayso,oftenwithoutexplanationornegotiation.

Authoritativeparents: Parentswhoarehighinwarmth,

butalsoexertfirmcontrol.Theymonitortheirchildren

closely,setclearstandards,andhavehighexpectations

forbehavior.

Autonomy:Independence

Bipolardisorder:Amanic-depressiveillness

characterizedbyextremeemotionalhighsandlows.

Bodyimage:Anindividualsdynamicperceptionofhisor

herbodyhowitlooks,feelsandmoves.

Bulimianervosa:Bingeeatingfollowedbypurging,

fastingorexcessiveexercise.

Cognitivedevelopment:Changesinproblemsolving,memory,language,reasoning,andotheraspectsof

thinking.

Contextualized/DecontextualizedLearning:

Contextualizedlearningislearningthattakesplaceina

familiarsettingwhiledoingfamiliaractivities,for

exampleachildlearningwhatcupsandsaucersareby

helpingaparentwashdishes.Decontextualizedlearning

takesplaceintheunfamiliar,likeschool,andmaybe

connectedwithplacesorthingsthatastudentmay

notbefamiliarwith.Forexample,somestudentsmay

beatalossifaskedWhattypeofsportsequipmentis

usedtoplaylacrosse?

Cyberbullying: Thepracticeofusingcomputersand

otherelectronicmediatointentionallyinflictharmon

anotherperson.

Digitaldivide:Thedisparitiesinaccesstotechnology

betweenpoorandmoreaffluentstudentsand

families.

Egocentric:Theassumptionthatothersexperiencethe

worldthewayyoudo.

Emotional/socialdevelopment:Changesovertimein

anindividualsfeelings,personality,self-concept,and

relationswithotherpeople.

Empathy:Theabilitytounderstandwhatanother

personisfeeling,and,asaconsequence,experience

thesameorsimilaremotions.

EnglishLanguageLearners(ELLs): Studentswhose

primaryorheritagelanguageisnotEnglish.

Extendedfamilies: Familymemberssuchas

grandparents,aunts,uncles,andcousinslivinginthe

samehousehold,oratleastindailycontactwitheach

other,cooperatingtotakecareofchildren.

Genderintensification: Adolescentsdeclinein

flexibility,whichreflectstheirenhancedself-

consciousnessandincreasedawarenessofsocial

normsandexpectationsconcerningmasculinityand

femininity.


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IdentityAchievement:Theresultofhealthyexploration

anddecision-makingregardingidentitiesinvolvedin

occupations,politicalandreligiousaffiliations,and

relationships.

IdentityDiffusion:Astateinwhichadolescentsarenot

exploringidentityalternativesormakingcommitments.

Identityforeclosure: Occurswhenadolescentsmake

commitmentswithoutexploringoptions.

IdentityPrinciple(Piaget): Principlethatapersonor

objectremainsthesameovertime.Also,thecomplex

answertothequestionWhoamI?

Instrumentalaggression: Aggressionthatisinadvertent

morelikelytheresultofhavingaspecificgoalandpoor

self-controlthanhavingmaliciousintent

Metacognition:Knowingabouthowyourowncognitive

processesworkandusingthatknowledgetoreachyour

goals.

MetalinguisticAwarenessSkills: Meta-awarenessskillis

atworkwhenastudentisabletoswitchtheirattention

fromthemeaningofwhatthey,orothers,saytothe

sayingsthemselves.

Mnemonics:Systematicproceduresforimproving

memory.

Moraldilemmas:Hypotheticalsituationsthataskpeople

tomakedifficultdecisionsandthenjustifythem.

Neglectedchildren:

Peerculture:Thesocialvaluesandnormsforbehavior

thatdifferentgroupsofadolescentsshare.

Peergroups:Socialgroupsformedonthebasisofshared

interestsandvalues;theyaretypicallycomposedof

childrenofthesameage,sex,race/ethnicity,aswellas

othercommonalities.

Peerpressure:Theinfluencepeershaveoneachothers

attitudesandbehaviors.

Permissiveparents:Parentswhoarewarm,but

havelittlecontrol.Theyfailtosetstandardsor

enforcerulesfortheirchildrenandavoidconflict

orconfrontation.

Physicaldevelopment:Changesinbody

structureandfunctionovertime.

Popularchildren:Childrenwhoarewelllikedby

theirpeers.Theymayachievesocialstatusby

engagingineitherprosocialorantisocial

behavior.

Puberty:Alltheprocessesinvolvedthatmakea

personcapableofreproduction

Physicaldevelopment: Changesinbody

structureandfunctionovertime.

Puberty:Alltheprocessesinvolvedthatmakea

personcapableofreproduction

Reciprocalteaching:Amethodofsupporting

readingcomprehensionthatinvolvesfour

strategies:questioning,summarizing,clarifying,

andpredicting.

Rejectedchildren:Childrenwhoareactively

dislikedbytheirpeers;theymaybeaggressive,

immature,sociallyunskilledorwithdrawn.

SchoolAttachment:Thedegree,towhich

studentsfellaccepted,valued,respected,

supported,andincludedintheirschools.

Self-concept:Ourintegratedviewofthe

attributes,abilitiesandattitudesthatdefineus.

Self-esteem:Theself-evaluativepartoftheself-

concept;thejudgmentschildrenmakeabout

theiroverallself.


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LiteracyandLanguageDevelopmentMiddleSchoolstudents

Children and young adults in the middle school years are expected to useadvancedlanguage skills.

Students with typically developing advanced language skills are able to usecomplex sentences, in both their oral statements and written language.

Students at this level are also able to produce written stories that follow story

grammar rules, and regularly make correct inferences from written text.

Students have the ability to understand and use figurative language. This includesunderstanding metaphors such as, "I move fast like a cheetah on the Serengeti,"

and similes, "crazy like a fox."

Students also have the ability to better understand idioms such as, "he's a bull in

a china shop."

An understanding and ability to use expository text is perhaps the biggestcognitive and academic leap that secondary students are expected to make.

Expository text has a greater emphasis on decontextualized language forms and

requires students to analyze and self-reflect on their views. In short, it requires

good metalinguistic awareness skills. Social language skills are of huge importance to adolescents. For instance, the

ability to detect and respond to sarcasm from peers is a critical skill that teenagerswith typical language development find difficult to learn. The problem, of course,

of not possessing good social language skills, is that students who can'tadequately respond to teasing or bullying become the target for more of the

same.

Children with language difficulty generally have problems with most aspects of

social language, including having adequate conversation skills, and knowing socialrules.


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1. Middle School, Reading and Tweens: Read What's Popular

Motivating your tween to read is so important, and when your child hits middle school,

reading skills play an important role in school success. Recent research indicates that readersdo better on standardized testing, such as the SATs, than do non-readers. And don't forget

about the enjoyment that reading can bring an individual. The good news is your preteen

doesn't have to read the classics in order to benefit from reading. Tweens may take aninterest in a book if they're familiar with the story. If your daughter recently saw a great

movie, see if you can find the book from which the movie was based.

How many tweens rediscovered the love of reading after watching the

Harry Pottermovies or The Chronicles of Narnia series?

2. Consider Magazines In middle school, reading can be seen asuncool. If books don't interest your son or daughter, subscribe to a

magazine that might cater to their interests. If your daughter loves

crafts, consider a subscription to a crafting magazine. If your son isinto sports, see if he'll read Sports Illustratedor another sports focused

publication. There are several magazines that cater to the tween girl

market, including Girls Life and Discovery Girls. Both offer a lot of

information on dealing with school problems, social problems, andmaking the most of the tween years.3. Start a Club Tween book clubs are popping up at libraries

across the country, and even some school districts are sponsoring

middle school reading clubs. A book club gives tweens the chance to

read a book together and share their observations and comments

about the story. If a club isn't offered in your area, consider starting

one with your child and her friends.

4. Enlist Their Help Ask your child if she's willing

to read to younger siblings or

neighbors in order to help them improve theirreading skills. The chance to share a story may

be enough to encourage her to keep reading for

fun. Some school districts offer tutoring

programs in which older students tutor younger

ones. It will give your tween the chance to

improve her own reading skills while helping a

younger student develop theirs.

5. Comic Books Use comic books to improve

reading proficiency, especially with

boys. In elementary and middle school reading

scores are usually ten percent lower than girls and in high school twelve percent lower. Comicbooks can be used to supplement traditional reading materials. The Stan Lee Foundation, the

comic legends foundation to stop illiteracy as at the forefront of this movement. Stan Lee said,"Comics really are a good aid to getting kids to read more literature, increasing their vocabulary,

and making them wantto read. Comics are the one type of reading you don't have to be forcedinto," he said. "If you're a kid, you want to read them and you enjoy them. You begin to equate

enjoyment with reading. Once you

become a reader, you don't stay with

comics, you then go onto other things

too."

Tips for parents: How to Motivate My Tween to Read


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Areinatransitionperiod

fromconcretethinkingtoabstractthinking.

Areintenselycuriousand

haveawiderangeof

intellectualpursuits.

Preferactiveoverpassive

learningexperiences.

Preferinteractionwith

peersduringlearning

experiences.

Respondpositivelyto

opportunitiestoparticipate

inreallifesituations.

Areoftenpreoccupiedwith

self.

Haveastrongneedforapprovalandmaybeeasily

discouraged.

Developanincreasingly

betterunderstandingofpersonalabilities.

Areinquisitiveaboutadults,

oftenchallengingtheirauthority,

andalwaysobservingthem.

Mayshowdisinterestin

conventionalacademicsubjectsbut

areintellectuallycuriousabouttheworldandthemselves.

Aredevelopingacapacityto

understandhigherlevelsofhumor.

CognitiveDevelopment

MiddleSchoolstudents

ImplicationsforMiddleSchool/JuniorHigh

Teachers

CognitiveDevelopment

Theteachershould

Provideextensiveopportunitiesforabstract

thinking,includingconsiderationofmoral

dilemmas.

Recognizethatnotallmiddleschools/junio

highstudentshavefullydevelopedabstract

reasoningskills.

Recognizestudentsmaybeinclinedto

challengeauthoritywiththeirnewfound

skepticismoftheworld.

Beawareandcapitalizeonstudents

fascinationwiththegrayareasoflife)for

example,moralissuesinhistoryand

medicine).


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MoralDevelopment


Aregenerallyidealistic,desiringtomaketheworldabetterplaceand

tobecomesociallyuseful

Areintransitionfrommoralreasoningwhichfocuseson"what'sinit

forme"tothatwhichconsidersthefeelingsandrightsofothers

Oftenshowcompassionforthosewhoaredowntroddenorsuffering

andhavespecialconcernforanimalsandtheenvironmental

problemsthatourworldfaces

Aremovingfromacceptanceofadultmoraljudgmentstodevelopment

oftheirownpersonalvalues;nevertheless,theytendtoembrace

valuesconsonantwiththoseoftheirparents Relyonparentsandsignificantadultsforadvicewhenfacingmajor

decisions

Increasinglyassessmoralmattersinshadesofgreyasopposedto

viewingtheminblackandwhitetermscharacteristicofyounger

children

Attimesarequicktoseeflawsinothersbutslowtoacknowledgetheir

ownfaults

Owingtotheirlackofexperienceareoftenimpatientwiththepaceof

change,underestimatingthedifficultiesinmakingdesiredsocial

changes Arecapableofandvaluedirectexperienceinparticipatorydemocracy

Greatlyneedandareinfluencedbyadultrolemodelswhowilllistento

themandaffirmtheirmoralconsciousnessandactionsasbeing

trustworthyrolemodels

Areincreasinglyawareofandconcernedaboutinconsistencies

betweenvaluesexhibitedbyadultsandtheconditionstheyseein

society

ImplicationsforMiddle

School/JuniorHigh

Teachers

MoralDevelopment

Theteachershould

Recognizeandcapitalizeo

therelationshipbetween

youngadolescents'

intellectualdevelopment

andtheirmoralreasoning

Planinstructional

experiencesthatfoster

higherorderthinkingskills

andhigherlevelsofmoral

reasoning.Forexample,

teacherscaninclude

assignmentsthatguide

studentstoarticulatethei

thoughtsandfeelingsinwriting.

Youngadolescentsneed

opportunitiestoexamine

optionsofbehavioraswe

astheconsequencesof

theseoptions.Thiscanhe

studentstodevelopvalue

resolve problems, and s

their own standards of

behavior.

Teacherscanalso

incorporatescenariosthat

promptyoungadolescent

toexploreconceptsof

fairness,justice,andequit

Schoolsneedtoinclude

programsandcurriculath

addresssocietalissuessuc

asracism,sexism,and

discrimination.


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PhysicalDevelopment

Experiencerapid,irregularphysicalgrowth

Undergobodilychangesthatmaycauseawkward,uncoordinatedmovements

Havevaryingmaturityrates,withgirlstendingtomature

oneandone-halftotwoyearsearlierthanboys.

Maybeatadisadvantagebecauseofvariedratesof

maturitythatmayrequiretheunderstandingofcaring

adults.

Experiencerestlessnessandfatigueduetohormonal

changes.

Needdailyphysicalactivitybecauseofincreasedenergy. Developsexualawarenessthatincreasesassecondary

sexcharacteristicsbegintoappear.

Areconcernedwithbodilychangesthataccompany

sexualmaturationandchanges.

Havepreferenceforjunkfood,butneedgoodintention.

Arephysicallyvulnerablebecausetheymayadoptpoor

healthhabitsorengageinriskyexperimentationwithdrugsandsex.



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Physical

DevelopmentImplicationsforMiddleSchool/JuniorHighTeachers

Theteachershould

Minimizeactivitiesthatcallattentionto

differentlevelsofmaturity

Promoteappropriateeatinghabitsand

modelandencouragefitness

Besensitivetofemalemenstruation(maleteachersmaywanttopartner

withafemaleteacher,whomightkeep

emergencyfemininehygieneproductsin

supply)

Beawareofthepotentialforpregnancy


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SocialDevelopment

Areoftenintimidatedand

frightenedbytheirfirstmiddle

levelschoolexperiencebecauseofthe

largenumbersofstudentsand

teachersandthesizeofthebuilding.

Desirerecognitionfortheireffortsand

achievements.

Likefads,especiallythoseshunnedby

adults

Oftenoverreacttoridicule,

embarrassment,andrejection.

Haveastrongneedtobelongtoa

group,withpeerapprovalbecomingmoreimportant.

Intheirsearchforself,modelbehavior

afterolder,esteemedstudentsornon-

parentadults.

Mayexhibitimmaturebehavior

becausetheirsocialskillsfrequently

lagbehindtheirmentalandphysical

maturity.

Experimentwithnewslangand

behaviorsastheysearchforasocial

positionwithintheirgroup,often

discardingthese"newidentities"ata

laterdate.

Mustadjusttothesocialacceptanceof

earlymaturinggirlsandtheathletic

successesofearlymaturingboys,

especiallyiftheythemselvesare

maturingataslowerrate.

Aredependentonparentalbeliefsand

valuesbutseektomaketheirown

decisions.



11/16


12/16


ImplicationsforTeachers

Socio-emotionalDevelopment

Theteachershould

Listentoandhelpstudentsclarify

theirthinkingastheygothrough

thepotentialturmoilofidentity

formation.

Createclassroomsystemsto

providethesecurityofstructure

whileprovidingthefreedomfor

personalexpression.

Createclassroomactivitiesthatdo

notnecessarilyrequirestudentsto

stickout.

Beparticularlycarefulnotto

humiliatestudentsordraw

unwantedattentiontothem.

Socio-emotionalDevelopment


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PsychologistCarolDweckdefinesmotivationas"theloveoflearning,theloveofchallenge."And,accordingtoher,

motivationisoftenmoreimportantthaninitialabilityindeterminingoursuccess.

Yetsomewhereinthemiddlegradesthemotivationofsomeyoungadolescentsforlearningtakesanosedive.Ayoung

teenmaybegintogrumbleaboutassignmentsandteachers,asktodropoutofafavoriteactivity,complainthathe's

boredorshowsignsofbeinglostintheeducationalshuffle.

Herearesomethethingsthatcancontributetolowmotivation:

Biologicalchanges.Theonsetofpubertygettingherperiodorbeing4feet2inchestallwhenyourbuddyis5feet

10inchesdistractssometeens.Distractionsmakeithardtothinkabouttheswimteamorthesocialstudies

projectthat'sdue.

Emotionalconcerns.Itmaytakeextraefforttoconcentrateonascienceprojectwhenayoungteenispreoccupied

withphysicalinsecuritiesorconcernedaboutbeingexcludedfromaspecialgroup.

Theschoolenvironment.Ayoungteenmaylosemotivationaftermovingfromelementaryschooltoamiddleschool

orjuniorhigh.Thelossofmotivationcanbefueledbyinsufficientsupportinthenewschoolorbyanincreased

workloadandexpectationstowhichthestudenthasn'tyetadjusted.

Socialandpeerpressures.Achildmaybeinfluencedbyfriendswhobelievethatacademicsuccessisn't"cool,".or

thatgirlsaren'tgoodatmath.

Ashiftinhowachildviewshisability. Youngerchildrentendtobelievethattheharderyoutry,thesmarteryou'll

get.ButDr.Dwecknotesthataschildrenmoveintotheirearlyteens,theymaybegintobelievethatabilityis

fixedandtocomparetheirabilitywiththatofotherstheharderyou havetotry,thelessableyoumustbe.

Thisviewcandampenmotivation.Whytryhardifitwon'thelpyoutodowell?

Lackofopportunities.Someyoungsterslackopportunitiestotaketheclassesorparticipateintheactivities

thattheyneedtosparktheirenthusiasm.Thisismostlikelywithstudentsfromdisadvantagedfamiliesorwho

areatrisk,contributingtoperceptionsthattheyareunmotivated.

Motivation


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Beagoodrolemodel.Youngteensbenefitfromseeing

theirparentsputtingforththeirbesteffort,completingwork

andmeetingobligations.Parentsneedtodemonstratethat

theyvaluelearningandhardwork.

Letyourchildknowthatsustainedeffortovertimeisthe

keytoachievement.Teachhimtosethighgoalsandto

workhardtoachievethem.Helphimtoseethevalueof

tacklingchallengesandoffindingwaystomeetorexceed

thosechallenges.

Steeryourchildtowardappropriateclassesandsuitable

activities.Youngteensneedopportunitiestoexcelandbe

useful.Successcanbeapowerfulmotivatorandboredom

maybeasignthatyourchildhasn'tenoughopportunitiesto

develophertalents.ShemayneedanadvancedEnglish

class,anartclassorthechancetovolunteeratahomelessshelter.

Offersupport.Insincerepraiseorpraiseforpooreffortsisnohelp,butyoungteensneedtobe

reassuredthattheycandosomething."Sometimeskidswillsaytheyarebored,butit's

becausetheyhaven'tdone[anactivity]before,"advisesteacherBarbaraBraithwaite.Your

childmayneedhintsabouthowtogetstartedwithanewprojectfromyou,anotheradult,

aninstructororabook.

Findstrengthsandbuildonthem. Everychildcanshineinsomearea.Identifywhatyourchild

doesbest,nomatterwhatitis.

Communicatewithyourchild'steachers,counselorsorschoolprincipalwhennecessary.Adrop

ingradesisnotuncommonwhenstudentsgofromonegradeleveltoanother.Butifyour

child'sgradedropisextremeorifitpersistsformorethanonemarkingperiod,getintouch

withsomeoneattheschool.It'sOKtobeastrongbutrespectfuladvocateforyourchild.

Becausemiddle-gradesteachersmayhaveveryfullschedules,youmayneedtoshow

persistence.Call,writeore-mailteachersifyouthinkthatmanyassignmentsare

inappropriateorifyourchildisunabletocompletethemsuccessfully.Taketheleadifyour

childisplacedinclassesthatyouthinkarepoorincontentorthatfailtoprovideyourchild

withsufficientstimulation.

Holdrealisticexpectations. It'simportanttoholdchildrentohighstandards.Butwhenyoung

teensareaskedtodotheimpossible,theymaystoptrying.Don'tpressureyour5-foot4-

inchsontotryoutforcenteronhisbasketballteamjustbecauseheplayedcenterforhis

elementaryschoolteam.Instead,reassurehimthat,intime,he'llgrowtallerandhelphim

tolookforotheractivitiesinthemeantime.Holdingrealisticexpectationsalsorequiresthat

youconsideryourchild'spersonalityandtemperament.Your6-footsonmaynotenjoy

playingbasketball.Makesurethatyourchildknows,deepinhisheart,thatyoulovehimfor

whatheisandnotforwhathedoes.

Motivation(adviceforparents)Here are ways to encourage adolescents motivation:


15/16


http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/index.html

Readinformativearticles,playgamesandactivities,watchvideoclipsofotherkidstalking

abouttheirfeelingsandexperiences,alsofeaturesinterviewswithcelebritiessharingstuff

theyhadtogothroughwhentheywerekids.

TheDiscoveryChannelsHowStuffWorks

http://www.howstuffworks.com/

WebSitesforAdolescents


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Caskey,M.M.,&Anfara,V.A.,Jr.(2007). Researchsummary:Youngadolescents'developmentalcharacteristicRetrieved[Nov.30,2010],from

http://www.nmsa.org/Research/ResearchSummaries/DevelopmentalCharacteristics/tabid/1414/Default.aspx

Comic books as education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.stanleefoundation.org/New &

Press/Comic Books as Education - Comics News at IGN.pdf Wood,C.(2007).Yardsticks:Childrenintheclassroomages4-14.(3rded.).TurnersFalls,MA:

NortheastFoundationforChildren,Inc. WoolfolkA.,&PerryN.(2012).Childandadolescentdevelopment.UpperSaddleRiver,NewJersey:

PearsonEducation,Inc.

References

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NELA Middle School Developmental Project

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