Early and middle years of schooling

Abstract

From P-12, students move through a series of developmental phases: early childhood, middle childhood, early adolescence, and late adolescence/young adulthood. This chapter focuses on inclusion for students at the phase of early adolescence because significant education changes have occurred recently in schools catering for those students. Early adolescent education takes place in the middle years of schooling, usually Years 6-9. For the purpose of this chapter, 'students with special support needs' refers to young adolescents who, in earlier times, were excluded from regular or general classrooms and sent to separate and specialist schools, centres and units.

In this chapter you will learn about:

- recent reforms in the middle years of schooling.
- how inclusion for young adolescents may be more challenging than inclusion for other phases of learning.
- how small middle school communities promote inclusion for young adolescents.
- strategies teachers can use to build and maintain community in middle schools.
- factors that influence the success of middle years teachers working with young adolescents in inclusive schools.
- practical measures teachers can take, in light of these factors, to promote the success of inclusion.
- whether inclusive teaching in middle schools is generic or young adolescent-specific.
- the different responses to inclusion by young adolescents, how teachers can identify those responses and what they can do to ensure they are.