The Fourteen-Year-Old at School

How does your fourteen-year-old learn and behave in the classroom? Is he complaining about the workload or calling it "boring"? Find out about a typical fourteen-year-old below:

Motor Skills

Need as much physical release as possible; brief periods out of doors, run around the playground; stretch break in the classroom

Posture and ability to sit "properly" in typical school furniture is difficult; do well when allowed to lounge or sprawl on floor for certain amount of class time

A rest period, quiet reading, nap, often improves performance and behavior in the afternoon

Normally loud... balance in classroom expectations is important; silence sometimes, but not all the time

Cognitive

Function well in small (8-10) person discussion groups or cooperative learning groups (smaller)

Like to improve work if given the chance to revise efforts -- can be self-critical and also help effectively in peer conferencing in any subject area

Interested in study of psychology..."Who am I?"

Enjoy and do well with lengthier project assignments

Enjoy research and putting together research reports including format

Increased interest in math and science for many

Current events a popular subject and often discussed either formally or informally

Interest in manual skills, musical skills, artistic skills, and other ways of expressing particular intelligence emerging in the adult mind

Social

Complain about volume of homework, but often secretly enjoy challenge and their ability to meet teacher demands

Often say work is too easy when they find it plenty challenging

Complain about work as "boring" -- translate as: "I don't really understand this stuff."

In some school settings give in to peer pressure not to do well in school, be a "nerd"

Service projects, student government, class dances, sporting events, and other group undertakings are of major significance often leading to a first career interest

Humor more differentiated; can be extremely funny, creative

From Yardsticks: Children in the Classroom Ages 4-14 by Chip Wood, © 1997 by Northeast Foundation for Children (800) 360-6332. All rights reserved as permitted under the US copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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