Schools specifically designed for students on the threshold of adolescence began to appear early in this century. It is important to have a clear idea of what youngsters are like during this period and to provide school programs to fit their needs. We know that at no other period in the life cycle does such a variance exist in the rate of individual development. Research indicates that there can be as much as an eight-year range in achievement in any single grade. Similar variances can exist in intellectual, emotional, social and physical development.
Early adolescents differ from students at the elementary and high school levels in many ways.
The difference is their common characteristics as bodily changes occur at times and in ways which are neither predictable nor regular. In addition, change in our culture during the past three decades have set adolescents even more apart from the rest of society. Now adolescence is one of the dominant stages in the life cycle. Adolescents have their own music, language, dress, and other distinguishing features. As a normal developmental process, the influence of the peer group increases at this time.