Provides guidelines for choral directors who are choosing and adapting music for middle school singers (grades 4 through 9). Discusses three types of ensembles (treble, mixed, and tenor/bass choirs) in which the voicing is appropriate to the adolescent voice. Includes a selected repertoire for middle school choral groups. (CMK)

Adolescents are challenged to adjust to a new physical sense of self, new intellectual abilities, and cognitive demands; expand verbal skills; establish emotional and psychological independence from parents; establish adult vocational goals; develop productive peer relationships; manage their sexuality; and develop self-control. Transitional…

Examined factor structure of the emotional Autonomy Scale (EAS) in 3 samples of adolescents, with each sample consisting of 3 racial/ethnic groups. Found that the EAS exhibited poor construct validity and behaved quite differently for different grade and ethnic groups. Suggested that the most credible solution may be to reexamine the conceptual…

Examined precursors and correlates of sexual intercourse patterns among 10th- and 11th-graders. The transition to onset of sexual intercourse was associated with increases in delinquency and slower increases in school grades. Earlier onset and a more persistent pattern of sexual intercourse were associated with more childhood problem behaviors,…

Addresses event-related factors and cognitive-related factors as identifiers of the end of adolescence and the onset of adulthood. Adolescents were surveyed to determine what they believed were the most important attributes for becoming adults, and at what age their adulthood began. The majority of the sample identified cognitive factors as…

Used a bio-psychosocial approach to examine predictors of onset of sexual intercourse among adolescents interviewed at ages 13-14, 16-17, and 22-23 years. Found that for girls, always-married parents and less dating alone predicted later first intercourse. Earlier timing of first intercourse for boys was related to associating with peers with…

Ongoing discussions about spiritual awareness and values in British outdoor education address their role in helping adolescents develop a strong positive identity; definition of values and spirituality; and assessment of client needs, especially with respect to cultural differences. Collaboration with the fields of transpersonal psychology and…

Examined linkages between congruence in perceptions of family functioning and adolescent competencies in a sample of first-year college students and their parents. Found that congruence analyses portrayed a more complex picture of congruence and divergence than previous studies and highlighted the importance of examining interaction patterns.…

This article offers a developmental perspective on college drinking by focusing on broad developmental themes during adolescence and the transition to young adulthood. Links between developmental transitions and alcohol use and other health risks are discussed in light of five conceptual models: Overload; Developmental Mismatch; Increased…

Describes adolescent experiences in completing school and commencing adult work. Identifies the threats to preparing youth for adult work and describes the increasing national and international recognition of the significance of youth for economic and social development. Considers broad policy implications and details actions to address challenges…

Examined whether associations between marital discord and trajectories of adolescent depression and delinquency varied as a function of intrapersonal attributes. Found that difficult temperament potentiated effects of marital discord on adjustment trajectories. Heightened perceived family support protected adolescents from adverse marital discord…

Provides five rules teachers should abide by when using primary sources: (1) material must be age appropriate; (2) selections should be readable and accessible; (3) background information is necessary to help students decode the documents; (4) students should be arranged in groups of two or three; and (5) purpose and motivation must be given. (CMK)

A group of adolescent girls portray in art and in words their journey from trauma and hurt to trust and hope. Students, who are members of a positive peer culture group, designed and painted a mural in three sections. As a whole, the mural represents the three stages of the adolescent process. (Author)

Draws on a comparison of the characteristics of early childhood and early adolescence to comment on the culture of civility for adolescents. Discusses how Montessori adolescent psychology reiterates the role of the environment, the importance of work, the mindfulness of movement, the savoring of silence, the beauty of language, lessons in grace…

Prevention and developmental sciences have many complementary goals and much to gain by collaboration. The article introduces this special issue, which includes four empirical articles using growth modeling techniques (hierarchical linear modeling, latent growth curve analyses) to examine direct and indirect effects of theory-based, longitudinal…