In this talk, Linda Davis discusses observation at the adolescent level. She explains that we must "adjust our approach for the third plane of development, for when they are becoming adults." Using examples, she discusses the characteristics of this plane, which are helpful to recall when thinking about what to expect when observing…

Parent-adolescent relationships are highly bidirectional in nature, with parental behaviors affecting adolescents' adjustment and with adolescents' behaviors, in turn, eliciting parental practices. However, there is more to adolescents' agency in the socialization process than simple reciprocity. Adolescents contribute actively to the quality and…

Ever wonder why teenagers are so quick to adopt Instagram, Snapchat, and other forms of social media? Or take up X Games sports such as skateboarding and snowboarding? This Alliance for Excellent Education report explains how changes in the brain make adolescents more likely to be influenced by their peers, take risks, and even become disengaged…

Evidence around adolescent learning and development is clear: School-family partnerships matter. However, traditional methods for engaging families that narrowly define who is involved and what constitutes involvement fall short of promoting optimal outcomes. Meaningful family engagement practices involve reciprocal, two-way interactions between…

Students in the middle grades experience tremendous development in various domains. However, childhood trauma can significantly impede this development, further exacerbating the functioning of our most vulnerable student populations. This article aims to describe the use of trauma-informed teaching as a form of middle-level, social justice…

Effective educators value young adolescents, are prepared to teach them, and are knowledgeable about this age group. Middle level educators' understanding of adolescent brain development and developmentally responsive teaching strategies can help to support all adolescents' cognitive and social-emotional development in school. This article…

Education changes the brain. The purpose of this meta-review is to afford teachers access to the most up-to-date research regarding principal neuro-processes of adolescent development and behavior to improve students' well-being and motivation in the classroom. This includes facets such as emotional, social, risk and reward mechanisms, stressors,…

Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVEs) have gained more prominence in education of late; however, the question of their theoretically sound implementation remains relatively understudied. The current article addresses this gap through the explanation of how a MUVE platform Second Life was used in an undergraduate course for pre-service teachers.…

Farah Pandith is an author, foreign policy strategist, and former diplomat. She served as the first-ever special representative to Muslim communities for the US Department of State. She is the author of "How We Win: How Cutting-Edge Entrepreneurs, Political Visionaries, Enlightened Business Leaders, and Social Media Mavens Can Defeat the…

Adverse childhood experiences (typically referred to as ACEs) are potentially traumatic experiences and events, ranging from abuse and neglect to parental incarceration. A growing body of research has made it increasingly apparent that ACEs are a critical public health issue that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being in…

This special issue highlights recent research on measures of early adolescents' development and the school contexts in which they spend their time. We are particularly interested in measures with direct application--providing actionable data to teachers, principals, parents, school counselors, or the students themselves, in ways that promote…

Annette Haines provides a comprehensive overview of concentration across the planes. She first lays the foundation for thinking about student engagement: It must be understood that concentration is found through the interest of the child, which is guided by the sensitive periods. When we understand the child's development in this way, we can offer…

John Bowlby's (1982) attachment theory can be applied to an existing therapeutic framework to enhance the effectiveness of therapy. Using the Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI), a therapist can identify the type of attachment the client formed with his/her caregivers, and use this to navigate an authentic attachment between client and therapist.…

Through strong working relationships and a responsive approach for systems strengthening, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Turkey has been able to effectively integrate its humanitarian and refugee-related programmes into its wider strategic approach to increase the potential for every child to learn. In doing so, UNICEF has worked…

The articles in this issue of "New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development" nicely summarize recent findings about creativity and development. This commentary underscores some of the key ideas and puts them into a larger context (i.e., the corpus of creativity research). It pinpoints areas of agreement (e.g., the need to take…