Chapter 2

Development of Middle Level Learners

This chapter will approach young adolescent development from five broad perspectives:

Development of Middle Level Learners

Character

Social

Emotional

Intellectual

Physical

Physical Development

• Influences every other type of development that middle level students experience

Mismatched parts•No such thing as “typical”•Mister potato head Puberty•Hair growth•Pimples•Taller•HeavierSexual Maturity•Poor decisions•Pregnancy•Sexually transmitted diseasesTiming•Ages 10-13•Early bloomers•Late bloomers

Physical Development Issues1. Middle level students need information on physical development2. Physical changes affect behavior3. Rapid Growth requires increased nutrition4. Children at this age should not be stereotyped according to physical changes5. Many related arts curricular areas require physical development to master

skills involved6. Many girls will experience the first signs of a menstrual period during the

school day7. Middle level students are restless and uncomfortable much of the time8. Sitting for long periods of time is likely to have negative effects on young

bodies and on mental processing9. Most very concerned about appearance and constantly looking in the mirror10. Overactive glands may cause difficulties

Intellectual Development

• Transitional state between child-like thinking and adult-like thinking

• More from concrete thinking to abstract thinking

Becoming• Movement from concrete (age 10-14) to

abstract thinking (ages 11-17)• Is idiosyncratic-happens at different rates and

stages for all of us.

Intellectual Development Issues1. The attention span may not be as great as it was in late elementary school

or will be in high school.2. Middle level students often have very vivid imaginations which can be

linked to concepts as abstract thinking develops.3. Because intellectual development is so variable among middle school

students, a group of 25 seventh graders may represent a whole spectrum of levels of development.

4. As the shift from concrete to abstract thinking is ongoing, we may lose opportunities to challenge middle level students

5. Physical development and intellectual development happen concurrently6. A major shift in the intellectual development of middle level students is

their newly acquired ability to think about their own thinking-metacognition.

7. Begin to understand what is meaningful and useful, with application to their lives.

Emotional Development

• Emotional intelligence determines about 80% of a person’s success on life (Goldman, 1995)

• Much research has revealed that young adolescents tend to be easily offended, erratic, restless, and self-conscious.

Interrelatedness• Interrelated with both physical and intellectual

development

Worry• Middle grade students worry about everything

Emotional Development Issues

1. Because emotions occur suddenly and without warning, self-regulation is very difficult.

2. Emotional variability places young adolescents at high risk of making decisions that may have negative impact (Milgram, 1992)

3. There will be incidents and events that will trigger emotions to the point of disruption of the learning process.

Social Development

It has been suggested that the paramount reason young adolescents come to school is not for the education we offer but because school is where the other kids are. In my years of being a teacher and researcher with ten to fourteen year-olds, I have come to recognize that both goals-companionship and learning-are powerful, complementary motivators.(Stevenson, 1992)

Adult Relationships• Young adolescents find themselves caught

between their desire to be safe and secure and their desire for freedom and independence.

Peer and Group Relationships• Where do I fit in?• Peer pressure• Who is my best friend?

Social Development Issues

• Young adolescents have a very strong need to be part of a social group.

• There are young adolescents who feel like targets

• Young adolescence is a prime time for shyness, given the self-consciousness of the age

• Teachers’ social backgrounds may be different from their students’

Character DevelopmentYoung Adolescents Character Traits• are concerned about fairness• ask unanswerable questions• need support, but seldom ask for itSchool Programs• Trustworthiness• Respect for others• Responsibility• Fairness• Caring• Citizenship

Necessary Attributes for Character Growth

INTRAPERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

1. Self-discovery2. Self-management3. Delayed Gratification4. Courage5. Honesty

INTERPERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

1. Empathy2. Altruism3. Problem Solving4. Tolerance5. Social Deftness

Character Development Issues1. Some students grow up in homes with a

very strict moral code while others live in homes where there are few moral guidelines or restrictions.

2. Students are continually faced with contradictions concerning character.

3. Middle grades students are especially vulnerable to falling into the “wrong crowd”.

Now let’s meet the students…