I discuss the complementary strengths of foundational literacy skills and foundational texts to support the academic and life journeys of Black adolescent males in this commentary. Foundational texts are defined as texts central to life-outcome, personal, intellectual, and professional trajectories accompanied by self-assurance while being…

This discussion article presents practices for designing more supportive and individualized writing tasks for adolescent and young adult students. The practices emerged from a synthesis of findings from a prior study in which we asked 79 undergraduates to talk about moments from their writing histories that made them feel proud of their writing.

Loneliness becomes more prevalent as youth transition from childhood into adolescence. A key underlying process may be the puberty-related increase in biological stress reactivity, which can alter social behavior and elicit conflict or social withdrawal (fight-or-flight behaviors) in some youth, but increase prosocial (tend-and-befriend) responses…

Children and adolescents need a vision of hope and success that will motivate them to take action. This discussion describes some ways of pondering the mandate in the Bible to care for the earth and for each other.

Well known for his pioneering work on place-based education, Sobel discusses the benefits of engaging adolescents in meaningful learning experiences through outdoor education. His case study focuses on a 'Forest Fridays' nature-based education program developed by Eliza Minnucci, an elementary teacher in Vermont, USA. Sobel's wife, Jennifer…

In the winter of 2014, four terrorists attacked a school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), resulting in more than a hundred students' death. Twenty-two survivors (aged 10-18 years) with physical injuries were admitted to a private hospital in Karachi for further surgical and psychological interventions. The aim of this paper is to share a retrospective…

Research on the role of moral emotions in moral judgment, both in hypothetical dilemmas and in real-life moral decision making, has focused on preschool and elementary school age, with few studies spanning a larger age range, into adolescence and adulthood. The present special issue addresses a neglected area, the development of moral emotions and…

In the light of Martin Heidegger and Hubert Dreyfus's concepts of being-in-the-world and skillful coping, this article addresses disruptions students face in modern society. Such disruptions involve pressure for achievement and lack of belonging to communities. In the discussion, the article presents the terms "being-disrupted" and…

The teenage years can be difficult, filled with questions, emotions, and decisions. For high-achieving adolescents who may experience asynchronous development or experience the world more intensely, these years can bring about intense emotions, feelings of isolation, or difficulty understanding the injustices of the world. Parents, may try to…

Adolescent stress, anxiety, and self-harm behaviors are on the rise, and the consequences have significant implications for how youth engage in school. While the data trends paint a worrisome picture of rising student stress and disengagement, evidence shows that listening to the voices and concerns of youth and implementing research-based reforms…

Guidance for schools regarding the promotion and enhancement of psychological wellbeing represents an invitation to intervene to promote effective, evidence-informed, whole-school approaches for school staff, students and parents. With its transdiagnostic approach and evidence from empirical literature, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is…

Children and adolescents who experience parental incarceration are faced with significant challenges. Additionally, parental incarceration disproportionally affects African American families and families in urban settings. Due to institutional, economic, and social barriers, access to community mental health services for these affected children…

Leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children and adolescents under the age of 19 (Mullin, 2018); but, due to scientific research and treatment advancements, there is an approximately 80% chance of survival from leukemia (Castillo, 2008). Most children receive a diagnosis of leukemia between the ages of 2 and 7 years old. The peak age of…

This and the forthcoming issue of "Communiqué" feature a two-part series covering the path youth may take toward and away from violent extremism. This first part sheds light on violent extremism, a timely and often misunderstood topic among school psychologists, related professionals and the public. Research suggests that it generally is…

Published in 1951, "The Catcher in the Rye" encapsulated teenage angst. Some time ago David Belbin mused about the influence of "Catcher" on the proliferation and popularity of YA literature. Salinger's recent death has sparked a renewed interest in his work and more attention on Holden and his inheritors. This article…