young adolescents
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Young Adolescents. Who are they and how do we teach them?. “In no other stage of the life cycle, are the promises of finding oneself and the threat of losing oneself so closely allied.” -Erik Erikson. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Young Adolescents
Who are they and how do we teach them?
“In no other stage of the life cycle, are the promises of
finding oneself and the threat of losing oneself so
closely allied.”
-Erik Erikson
“Young adolescents are at one moment coordinated and
awkward, shy and aggressive, attentive and distracted, astute
and absentminded.”
- M.A. James
John Hill’s Framework for Understanding Early Adolescence
• Primary Changes– Biological Changes– Psychological Changes– Changes in Social Definition
• Secondary Changes – Psychosocial • Attachment• Autonomy• Sexuality• Intimacy• Achievement• Identity
• Settings• Family• Peer• School
Young Adolescence is marked by:
• Profound and rapid changes• Tremendous variability• Changes occur irregularly• Race, poverty, or ethnicity may play a
vital role• Areas of development are intertwined• Growing and changing thinking
capacity• Developing sexual awareness• Appearance and body image issues• Peer acceptance becomes important• Burgeoning moral development
Characteristics of Young Adolescents:
Physical Development
• Rapid, irregular growth• Awkward, uncoordinated
movement• Restlessness and fatigue• Need to release energy• Appearance of secondary
sex characteristics• Bodily changes
magnified in comparison• Physically vulnerable
Cognitive-Intellectual Development
• Wide range of intellectual development
• Transition from concrete to abstract thinking
• Curious• Prefer active learning
experiences• Enjoy interaction during
learning experiences• Excel with real-life
learning• Begin to develop intra-
personal intelligence• Keen observers of adults
Characteristics of Young Adolescents:
Moral Development
• Transition from self-centered reasoning to other or principle oriented reasoning
• Idealistic – want to make the world a better place
• See “shades of gray” in issues
• Quick to see others’ flaws
• Influenced by adults with whom they have interaction
Psychological Development
• Self-preoccupied• Fluctuation of self-
esteem levels• Self-conscious and
highly sensitive• Psychologically
vulnerable• Develop traditional sex-
role behaviors• Desire recognition for
their positive behavior and achievements
Characteristics of Young Adolescents:
Social-Emotional Development• Strong need for approval• Concerned about peer acceptance• Overreact• Follow fads• Need alone time• Experiment with new behaviors and identities• Mood swings• Exhibit immature behavior• Socially vulnerable
Educational Implications
• Cross content area thematic units
• Exploratory coursed• Teaching approaches that
embrace their diversity• Assessment and evaluation
that promote learning• Interdisciplinary teams that
support meaningful relationships
• Health, wellness and safety policies
• Guidance and support services
•Create a safe, supportive educational environment•Active engagement of students and teachers •Establish mentoring/advisorship programs•School-Family connection•Relevant, challenging curriculum
• Your Subtopics Go HereTo change the world,
teach a young adolescent.
- National Middle School Association