In the middle grades, students make personal and educational decisions with serious consequences. They wrestle with issues of authority, independence, changing family relationships, and increased visibility in the community, all of which require that students practice social skills for community participation. These challenges, coupled with the perception that the middle-grade years are a watershed time for young adolescents, create a compelling case for the critical importance of the middle grades. Schools can create programs that respond to the unique needs of middle-grade students and their families. Communities can publicize positive reports about and provide positive interventions for middle-grade students.
Families can engage middle-grade children in active decision making.
The goal is to understand career opportunities in a variety of fields through hands-on experience. In addition to coping with the physical and emotional changes of adolescence, middle-grade students and their families must also deal with changes in the way schools operate. Families can serve as advocates and resources for middle-grade children. Schools and communities are ideal contexts for developing and fostering strong relationships with the families of middle-grade students. Schools can encourage direct contact between middle-grade families and teachers and can create staffing patterns that support these relationships.