Developmental Characteristics

    of the Eleven Year Old

    of the Twelve Year Old

    of the Thirteen Year Old

    of the Fourteen Year Old



Preparing for Middle School

"Transitioning from elementary to middle school brings many questions and concerns for both parents and students. Moving up to middle or junior high school can be both scary and exciting. Parents can help their preteens prepare for this monumental transition by gathering information and staying involved in their child's education.

As with any stage and rite of passage of childhood, communication between parent and child is crucial. Staying connected to your child's school and his or her friends may be an important component to parenting during the middle school years. Here are some ideas for parents to help their child's matriculation process from elementary school a success."

Click here to read the rest of this article by Louise Hajjar Diamond who has 11 years experience as a guidance counselor.

This article from It's My Life, from PBS Kids.org, offers children advice for making the leap from elementary to middle school. Click here to read this article for your children and to explore the other resources available to you and your kids at It's My Life.

These pages, also, from It's My Life, are designed for easy printing and encourage children to express themselves on the topic of transitioning to Middle School and can complement home or classroom discussion.

  http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/journal/middleschool_journal.html

Here is a Discussion Guide from It's My Life provides questions and suggestions for discussing the topic of entering middle School with your child.

  http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/parents/resources/middleschool_discussion_qs.html

For your middle school child - It's My Life's web site has a great section directed to your middle school child.

  Click here to link to this informative, interactive site.

Links to some of the specific topics on Middle School include:

• Movin' On Up
• What's Different
• The Student Body
• Stan and Sarah
• A Principal's Advice
• From the Mentors

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School Counselors

Professional school counselors serve a vital role in maximizing student achievement. Incorporating leadership, advocacy and collaboration, professional school counselors promote equity and access to opportunities and rigorous educational experiences for all students. Click here to learn more about the role of your schools professional school counselor.

  http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?pl=133&sl=240&contentid=240

Secondary school counselors are professional educators with a mental health perspective who understand and respond to the challenges presented by today's diverse student population. Secondary school counselors do not work in isolation; rather they are integral to the total educational program. Click here to learn more about the vital role of your school's professional counselors.

  http://www.schoolcounselor.org/content.asp?contentid=233

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Further Reading for You

The Roller-Coaster Years: Raising Your Child Through the Maddening Yet Magical Middle School Years by Charlene C. Giannetti and Margaret Sagarese Supported and advised by the National Middle School Association, this is a lively guide to mastering the ups and downs of early adolescence.

Enjoy Your Middle Schooler by Wayne Rice A guide to the physical, social, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual changes that middle schoolers go through, with tips on how parents can deal with these changes.

Middle School and the Age of Adjustment: A Guide for Parents by Eileen Bernstein Advice and practical suggestions that parents can use to help their children deal with common problems that can occur in middle school, written by a school guidance counselor.

Not Much Just Chillin' by Linda Perlstein This book chronicles a group of suburban middle schoolers, following five representative kids through the school year as they study, flirt, argue, rollerskate, instant-message and explain what they think and feel, and offers a trail map to the baffling no-man's-land between child and teen, the time when children don't want to grow up, and so badly do.

Further reading for Your Middle School Child

• Fiction Books:

Middle School Blues by Lou Kassem Despite a terrible beginning, twelve year-old Cindy discovers that seventh grade isn't nearly as awful as she expected. Before the year is over Cindy manages to reestablish some old friendships, make new ones, win a creative writing contest, and... you'll have to read the book to learn the rest of the story!

Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher Find out what happens when the substitute teacher never shows up and Mr. Fabiano's sixth-grade class is left unsupervised for a whole day.

Lizzie at Last by Claudia Mills As seventh grade begins, Lizzie Archer decides that she wants Ethan Winfield to like her, and that she can't handle another year of being the class nerd. See what happens when Lizzie tries to drop her old image!

Spider Boy by Ralph Fletcher Bobby Ballenger, an expert in spiders, enters seventh-grade in a new school and a new town and must overcome obstacles such as teasing classmates and the school bully.

• Non-Fiction Books:

Too Old for This, Too Young for That!: Your Survival Guide for the Middle-School Years by Harriet Mosatche, Ph.D. and Karen M. Unger A comprehensive guide for preteens filled with information and advice to help you make the jump from a kid to a teenager. Topics include self-esteem, family relationships, friendships, school and extracurricular activities.

Middle School: The Real Deal : From Cafeteria Food to Combination Locks by Juliana Farrell and Beth Mayall You'll find all the info you need to deal with middle school right here in this handy guidebook. From classes to cliques, from locker life to lunchrooms, you'll be prepared for anything your new school throws at you!