Transition from Elementary to Middle School

Many transitions occur throughout a students' life. From their first day of preschool to their first day of college, as humans we constantly have to readjust to new school environments. In terms of developmentally, transitioning to middle school comes at a terrible time! We know that the time children are transitioning from elementary to middle school occurs between the ages of nine and twelve years old, also known as early adolescence, and the start of puberty. Adolescence is a time where our bodies are changing physically, psychologically, and emotionally, and having to deal with a body transition as well as an environmental transition can be difficult. This is why it is essential for school systems to ease student's anxiety and fears about the upcoming years as much as possible, by implementing an effective transition program.

Theresa M. Letrello & Dorothy D. Miles (2003) The Transition from Middle School to High School:

Children in this stage divert more of their time and energy towards knowledge and education. Teachers, parents, and peers alike are all big influencers at this stage. In my first year of elementary school, I faced the task of making new friends as well as adapting to a new curriculum, having transferred from a Montessori school. Excelling in many subjects, I was placed in a few higher-level classes. These classes were my favorite part of the day and I had an amazing teacher who taught in engaging and creative ways. Many of us in those classes became close friends and felt special for being a part of it all. At the start of fifth grade, however, there was a teacher change and all that shifted. This new teacher didn’t meet my enthusiasm for class, and with a lack of support and understanding my grades began to drop, especially in math. Upon seeing my report card, I cried and decided I wasn’t smart enough to be in higher-level classes anymore. When I told my parents about my failure, their reactions differed significantly. One parent told me they weren’t disappointed as long as I tried my hardest and not to be too hard on myself. Conversely, the other parent wasn’t pleased and wasted no time comparing my abilities to those of my older sisters. Moving on to my first year of middle school, I had the opportunity to take a test that would bump me up to advanced math again, but

Middle childhood is the time where children start to fully develop their skills. They develop their comprehension skills, communication skills, and many more. In order to get a better look into the life of children during this stage, I decided to observe my niece’s friend, Ryan, who is almost at the end of her middle childhood stage. Ryan is an eleven year old girl who attends Bassett Elementary. I choose to observe Ryan because, she is a very unique girl who does not always fit into what the average girl her age is like.

In an age where getting a good education is increasingly a predictor of future success and stability, many of our youth are at-risk of falling behind in classes and dropping out of high school. Approximately half of all American adolescents engage in activities that put them at-risk and endanger their ability to succeed (Lingren, 1997). Not all of these adolescents will drop out of high school or end up on the streets, but a substantial number of them will not reach their potential in school and may carry feelings of failure with them the rest of their lives. Adolescents spend approximately seven hours a day, five days a week, in middle and high schools, making schools a logical place where at-risk adolescents might receive help. Realizing that this is a crucial time in their development, educators have instituted numerous school programs targeting these adolescents to help them succeed and catch-up to their peers.

Children between the ages of 8-12 are defined as being within the developmental stage of middle childhood.  At this age, the rapid development of previous stages has decreased and the physical changes within this period are slower and more defined.  The refinement of gross and fine motor skills is a critical aspect of this stage as the delayed or retarded development can have significant impact on the areas of cognitive, social and emotional development.  In order to ensure children are equipped with the correct knowledge and understanding of health, well being and healthy eating, the period of middle childhood is one in which these aspects are incorporated and failure to properly do so can result in long term ramifications and problems.

The text depicts a historical perspective on Middle Childhood, as during the twentieth century, children were viewed primarily as an economic source of income, in terms of providing for the family. According to the text this happens often in European counties and in parts of the United States. Elizabeth D. Hutchinson, Dimensions of Human Behavior The Changing Life Course 3rd, 2008. In this short review we will look at how this historical perspective in itself is not a question to how, but when these individual give.

“In middle childhood, 30% of a child’s social interactions involve peers, compared to 10% in early childhood” (Blume, 2010). Children place a large importance on friendship more when they grow older. In early childhood, friendships are associated with a particular activity. During middle childhood, children focus more on bonds and trust when it comes to making friends. Children start to use selective association meaning that children start to pair off with people that have the same interests as them. Sociable kids are attracted to other sociable kids and children who are shy tend to get left behind.

New developmental tasks are undertaken in middle childhood and development occurs within the physical, cognitive, cultural identity, emotional, and social dimensions, Although each developmental domain is considered separately for our analytical purposes, changes in the developing child reflects the dynamic interaction continuously occurring across these dimensions. For this specific case study, I will only be discussing two of these domains, which are the social development and the physical development.

School counseling has evolved over the years into a significant component of the educational system. School counselors are taking on new roles in schools as leaders, working with “school administration and staff in developing student attitudes and behavior which are necessary to maintain proper control, acceptable standards of self-discipline and a suitable learning environment within the school” (Secondary School Counselor 2012). Counselors work in “diverse community settings designed to provide a variety of counseling, rehabilitation, and support services” (Counselors, 2010). When working in a school district as a counselor, you can either be an elementary school counselor, middle school counselor or a high school counselor. This essays explores a recent interview with a high school counselor.