The upper elementary years: ensuring success in grades 3-6

Preface

Purpose and Audience

Background

Organization of the Book

Data Sources and Collection

Acknowledgments

Publisher's Acknowledgments

About the Author

1. Why Focus on Upper Elementary Grades and Students?

Upper Elementary Children and Grade Levels

Defining Upper Elementary Teachers: Their Practice and the Profession

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Professional Support

Advocating for Upper Elementary Students

2. Development of 8-to 12-Year-Old Children

Development as Learners

Cognitive Development

Language Development

Development as Individuals and Members of Society

Development of Sense of Self

Autonomy and Relatedness

Doing What Is Right

Physical Development

Refining the Broad Strokes of Generalizations

3. Children as Members of Groups

Situating Group Differences: Biological, Cultural, and Societal Influences

Biological Influences

Cultural Influences

Social, Historical, and Economic Influences

Ethnic and Racial Group Affiliation

Race and Ethnicity: Relation to Achievement

Race and Ethnicity: Relation to Social Development

Socioeconomic Group Affiliation

Socioeconomic Influences on Achievement

Socioeconomic Influences on Social Development

English-Language Learners

English-Language Learners and Achievement

English-Language Learners and Social Development

Gender Affiliation

Gender and Academic Achievement

Gender and Social Development

Gender and Physical Development

Exceptional Learners

Achievement of Exceptional Learners

Social Development of Exceptional Children

The Holistic Child: Mixing Group Identities

4. Individual Developmental Differences

Individuals as Learners

Variation in Cognition and Intelligence

Variation in Motivation to Learn

Variation in Expressions of Creativity

Exceptional Variation

Variation in Development of Self-Concept and Social Competency

Physical Variation

Summary

5. Children's Lives Outside of School

The Multiple Contexts of Children's Lives

Family and Home

Friends and Peers

Neighborhood and Community

Other Important Contexts

How Children Spend Time Outside of School

Adult-Organized, Sponsored, or Supervised Activities

Child-Driven Activities

Summary

6. The School Environment: Supporting Accomplishment, Belonging, and Engagement

School Role in Developing a Sense of Accomplishment

Defining and Measuring Accomplishment

Adult Expectations for Accomplishment

Student Expectations for Accomplishment

School Role in Developing a Sense of Belonging

Inviting Spaces and Warm Adult Relations

Belonging Within the Peer Network

Extending the Sense of Belonging to Family

Extending Belonging to the Community

School Role in Engaging Students Academically, Socially, and Physically

Academic Engagement

Social Engagement

Physical Engagement

School Culture, Organizational Structures, Policies, and Procedures

School Culture

School Organization, Policies, Procedures, and Resources

Summary

7. The Classroom Environment: Supporting Accomplishment, Belonging, and Engagement

Classroom Role in Developing a Sense of Accomplishment

Academic Accomplishment

Social Accomplishment

Physical Accomplishment

Classroom Role in Developing a Sense of Belonging

Belonging in a Community

Joy and Cooperation

Democracy and Equity

Care and Nurture

Extending Community to Others

Classroom Role in Developing a Sense of Engagement

Academic Engagement

Social Engagement

Physical Engagement

Summary

8. Teaching and Learning

Important Knowledge

Addressing What Students Are Expected to Know

Addressing Student Interest and Knowledge

Using Knowledge to Meet Student Needs for Accomplishment, Belonging, and Engagement

Selecting or Designing Appropriate Assessments

Assessing Acquisition of Desired Knowledge

Assessing Students' Prior Knowledge and Knowledge Assimilation

Using Assessment to Meet Diverse Students' Needs for Accomplishment, Belonging, and Engagement

Delivering Instruction

Teaching the Content

Teaching the Students

Using Instruction to Meet Diverse Students' Needs for Accomplishment, Belonging, and Engagement

Importance of Aligning Content, Instruction, and Assessment

Putting the Pieces Together

Issues Surrounding Teaching and Learning

Aligning Content, Assessment, and Instruction to Promote Accomplishment, Belonging, and Engagement

9. Supporting Upper Elementary Students: Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Professionalism, and Advocacy

A Framework of Upper Elementary Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Actions of Students

Actions of Teachers

Characteristics of the Classroom Environment

Characteristics of the Teaching and Learning Process

Professional Identity

Becoming Upper Elementary Teachers

Supporting Upper Elementary Teachers in the Profession

National Board Middle Childhood/Generalist Certification

Advocating for Upper Elementary Children

Compiling and Encouraging Research on Upper Elementary Children and Teaching

Examining Policies and Practices

What Can You Do for Upper Elementary Children?

Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Professional Identity for Upper Elementary Teachers

Advocacy

References

Index