ABSTRACT
There are few groups more diverse than young adolescents. Young adolescents develop and change tremendously between the ages of 10 and 15. Young adolescents are diverse in many ways. Some are obvious, such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Some less obvious but equally powerful dimensions of diversity include linguistic differences, family structures, religion, and a wide range of exceptionalities. Included in physical diversity are sexual maturity, rates of growth, and physical disabilities. Social development refers to personality differences, emotional maturity, and impulse control. Cognitive development includes learning modalities and intellectual exceptionalities. In this book, we explore the nature of diversity and implications for schools and teachers in their classrooms. Pre-service teachers, first-year teachers, and veteran teachers will gain insights into the unique characteristics, needs, and interests of young adolescents, and use that knowledge to inform their decisions about developmentally and culturally responsive curriculum and instruction.
