Transition From Elementary to Middle School Essay

Introduction

Adolescents face different changes in their development to adulthood. They require proper preparation as well as understanding from all the stakeholders to ensure a smooth transition from various stages of adolescent development. One of the vital stages of the developmental transition is the movement from elementary to middle school. The shift is one of the most difficult ones because of the expected changes in the individuals' lives. The young children are expected to adjust to a new environment, relatively different mental challenges and even physical development. In the elementary level, the setting offers a very close and intimate relationship with the teachers and less workload.

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The Transition period from Elementary to Middle school is a very critical step in most students' lives due to the physiological distress, developmental changes, and environmental adjustments. This essay will focus on discussing developmental transitions facing adolescents during the transition from elementary to middle school.

Students can experience many negative occurrences during the transition; involving stress, anxiety, apprehension, and fear. By enabling students to visit the middle school before the actual joining, the school can create a smooth, comfortable and exciting transition for students. School can as well generate excitement among students. A comprehensive transition program is of benefit since it can enhance academic improvement, increase in class attendance, and reduction in discipline cases.

Difficulties students face

A student transitioning from Elementary school to Middle school may develop declined perceived self- efficacy, lower academic competency and achievement, and absenteeism following the transition and a drop in self- esteem. They are fearful of being bullied by other students, they are concerned about the new demands in their academics and behavior, and they are also anxious about getting lost in an unfamiliar and broader environment. In addition to this complexity, their bodies are also changing. They experience the puberty change which comes with a lot of mood swings.

The challenge fifth-grade students are facing in a different environment, with new hopes and body changes, may lead to a drop in their academic achievements as discussed above with other adverse outcomes. Kyung-Sup et al., 2012, stated that "physical and emotional changes are also part of the experiences faced at this stage. The resultant movement from Elementary school to Middle School is difficult for all students." This transition generally involves the children changing from a smaller school with more support to a larger school with minimal personal engagement. The children will also need to build friendships with other students at this time when they will badly want to be accepted by their peers (Kyung-Sup, Fine & Weiss 2012).

The stress that fourth-grade students encounter when graduating to fifth grade is overwhelming hence incorporating a comprehensive transitional program can ease the tension and apprehension. Comprehensive Transitional Program is important because it is a valuable transition that Examines student encounters. The encounters are categorized into physiological distress, developmental changes and environmental adjustments.

Physiological Distress

Sixth-grade students may feel anxious about making new friends, fearful of being bullied in their new environment and getting lost. They face numerous new changes like meeting new teachers with having different expectations from the students. Teachers come up with new teaching modes for the six-grade students different from teachers at previous levels. Their self -esteem further declines as they got through the transition. One of the biggest concerns is meeting students from the eighth and seventh grade. These new students see them so superior and are always in fear. They are afraid of being picked on, teased or even be victimized. Students still want to have a sense of belonging and be accepted hence belonging becomes the essential thing students will need. However, being accepted or fitting in is not always an easy way for sixth- grade students.

Environmental Adjustments

With Environmental adjustments, students have to deal with many teachers, classwork increment and changes in expectations. They are expected to complete a large amount of classwork given without complaints. Students have to manage the multiple classes they are scheduled to attend. With this increased level of work, students have to learn new skills to manage their time. They are also supposed to learn organization skills so that they can deliver neat and tidy work. To add to this, alternating schedules, gym uniforms and lockers can enhance stress to a student since in the fifth grade there was less of all these.

Developmental Changes

This period of sixth-grade is not only a period of social, emotional and environmental changes but also a period where sixth-grade students' bodies change physically. Puberty exacerbates the apparent transition difficulties for younger students. This involves looking at students transitions during a period when incredible physical, emotional and cognitive transformations are simultaneously taking place.

Comprehensive Transition Program is an effect transition program consisting of more than one event. Tit is a process that includes one that involves communication, consensus, commitment and cooperation between stakeholders and students to ease the transition to middle school. It should include many activities and opportunities where upcoming middle students can explore their new school setting (Mashburn, In LoCasale-Crouch & in Pears, 2018).

These new opportunities are to be distributed over an adjusted period precisely at the start of the spring semester of the fifth-grade students and made possible up to their first semester of middle school. Recognizing the importance of Comprehensive Transition Program by all stakeholders is an indication that the program is a success (Benson & 2012). Parents and students can be given a chance to attend an orientation, tour around the school, meet all school administrators and counselors responsible so that they can be aware of what is expected of them both behaviorally and academically. Virtual tours and orientations sessions appear so appealing when families are allowed to tour. It is important to include students who have gone through this transition to speak about their strategies and address the other students.

It is right to allow sixth-grade student to report middle school one day earlier than the seventh and eighth grade students. This would allow sixth- grade students to familiarize with the school environment freely. They would practice how to open their lockers and even provide them with time to meet their new teachers. Comprehensive Transition Program enhances the sharing of ideas among teachers from elementary school and middle school on the needs of specific students to enable the middle school teacher to manage the students easily during the transition. Establishing these two collaborations plus that of a parent is an effective way to help students to transition into middle school (Spasovski, 2016).

Peer support is of importance where they increasingly become influential during the adolescence period. Peers provide extra comfort and support when facing middle school transition challenges. Most adolescent students ask for advice from their peers which appear so effective for them to cope with transition stress.

To implement a Comprehensive Transition Program it will involve bringing multiple stakeholders together in order to determine and discuss students' needs that prove to be of benefit during the transition. A long term realistic implementation is then the most important and effective. With a well-managed and designed transitional program, students will be able to adjust and accomplish a successful transition to middle school (McDonnell, Hardman& McDonnell, 2010). For a Transition Program to be called comprehensive, it must involve various stakeholders over a period. This help in guiding students to a successful transition. It all adds up to a team effort where they create a surrounding that feels safe to a student. A new student at middle school now can handle changes they enhancing academic performance and decreasing the number of discipline cases.

To implement a Comprehensive Transition Program it will involve bringing multiple stakeholders together in order to determine and discuss students' needs that prove to be of benefit during the transition. A long term realistic implementation is then the most important and effective. With a well-managed and designed transitional program, students will be able to adjust and accomplish a successful transition to middle school (McDonnell, Hardman& McDonnell, 2010).For a longitudinal program, planners should involve transition events that start months before the beginning of the semester so as to continue well after the semester has kicked off. For a Transition Program to be called comprehensive it must involve various stakeholders over a period of time. This help in guiding students to a successful transition. It all adds up to a team effort where they create a surrounding that feels safe to a student. A new student at middle school now is able handle changes they enhancing academic performance and decreasing the number of discipline cases.

Things to consider

In Parent academy discussion on Emotional Development for Fifth-grade students to join Middle School; it is of benefit to call local cooperative officer for nutritional guidance. This action is critical because it is time students are experiencing active bodily developments, focusing on their relationship with their peers and experiencing difficult changes at home due to the adaptation of new roles both for parents and students. It is also important to consider the health departments in this issue since students are not yet familiar with their nutrition matters.

When connecting parents to school content, it is essential to consider explaining to them on the common core, hand them a copy of the school handbook, display school academic reports for them to view and even supply lists of items that the school has purchased to help in ensuring the academic success of the child (Pei, 2006).

In understanding one's own child's intellect, parents should develop an understanding of a child's abilities, establish intense curiosity towards the child and develop a high capacity of understanding levels of humor. Parents should consider facilitators to enable the child to have a different level of intellects and also check local agencies to enhance involving summer activities.

For a sixth-grade student to be exposed comfortably in school, it is required for one to become part of clubs and a school activity team like a soccer team. This step will help a student feel connected to the school through participation. Parents should request counselors and teachers to avail computers where students can access career cruising website. It is evident that these unique activities in the essay will aid parents, teachers and students during Elementary and Middle school Transition.

The developmental transitions discussed might add to the social anxiety of students where they will eventually have a hard time negotiating the transitions. It is vital for all people included in the change be in the know of every occurrence happening.

References

Benson, J. B. (2012). Advances in Child Development and Behavior. Burlington: Elsevier Science.

Kyung-Sup, C., Fine, B., & Weiss, L. (2012). Devel...