"Marvel" at the neuroscientific reasons why smart teens make dumb decisions! "Behold" the mind-controlling power of executive function! "Thrill" to a vision of a better school for the teenage brain! Whether you're a parent interacting with one adolescent or a teacher interacting with many, you know teens can be hard…

Declining academic performance, along with a growing apathy of students toward the value of education, demonstrates that students in the United States public education system do not recognize the value of a positive experience in middle schools. A plethora of research and writing has been done on elementary schools and secondary schools, but…

This paper proposes a model for youth leadership education based on adolescent development and leadership research in an effort to provide practitioners with a practical blueprint to aid their creation and implementation of high school leadership programs. By focusing on student leader development areas which school level educators can affect,…

Research on the effects of education on adolescents' contraceptive behaviors is summarized and 27 teaching strategies, each related to a particular contraceptive problem adolescents encounter, are outlined. (JMF)

Comparison of the comprehension of proverbs of 200 students (50 each in Grades 6, 8, 10, and 12) found growth in proverb comprehension was most pronounced at two transitional points in development: when students move from late childhood into early adolescence, and again when they move from late adolescence into adulthood. Implications for…

There has been a shift in the field of adolescent literacy in the past 10 years. The focus on cognitive strategy instruction as a way to further the literacy development of adolescents and to "remediate" older, struggling readers has been supplemented with an appreciation of sociocultural influences that shape the literacy practices of an…

The learning contract is the ideal way to enable the teacher to raise levels of expectation, to provide individual attention, and to personalize the educational experience. Includes a sample contract and suggested practices for the use of a learning contract. (15 references) (MLF)

Analysis of cognitive, psychoanalytical, and moral development theories of J. Piaget, O. Rank, E. Erikson, L. Kohlberg, D. Elkind, and C. Gilligan revealed teaching strategies for gifted adolescents which involve encouraging creativity and problem-solving skills; supporting student interests; developing students' positive self-esteem; exposing…

Describes the use of the film "Breakfast Club," in a college adolescent psychology course. Relates how students study and discuss theories of moral reasoning and psychological development prior to viewing the film. Provides an opportunity for students to integrate course content while enjoying the learning process. (CFR)

By understanding the development of the human mind, parents and teachers can learn how to help guide children and adolescents into adulthood. The article examines mental growth at various ages, stumbling blocks to learning, ways of understanding the adolescent mind, and what to look for in a middle school. (SM)

Focusing on English instruction for mainstreamed learning disabled (LD) high school students, this paper surveys and interprets the literature on the subject, examines specific teaching methods and student study skills that have worked in this area, and reviews the English program proposed by Daniel Fader. Specifically, sections discuss the…

Summarizes five research projects concerned with the education of artistically talented students. Projects include interviews, surveys, case studies, comparative studies, and a drawing ability test. Concludes with a look at future directions for research. (MJP)

Reports on a study of 120 (60 boys, 60 girls) middle school students in Bophuthatswana on the relation of academic achievement to self-concept and locus of control. Finds that measures of extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism are related negatively to school achievement. (CFR)

This practicum designed and implemented a body image improvement program for seven severely emotionally disturbed latency-aged girls. Students participated once per week for 12 weeks in individual art therapy and in group sessions. The practicum incorporated therapeutic art activities with verbal interactions and utilized human growth films,…

Key developmental tasks of adolescence and the unique problems that face the learning-disabled adolescent are outlined, focusing on the role of social competency and communication effectiveness. Components of a comprehensive social competency training program include the nature of the learning disability, the affective-defensive pattern, adaptive…