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and staff in a K-5 school wouldn't be faced with as many discipline problems, nor would they have to worry as much about the healthy social development of pubescent tweens. Instead a K-5 school could be a very warm, nurturing environment for young children to feel safe and comfortable, where they could learn to be themselves without peer pressure and pop culture being imposed upon them from above.

And down the road in middle school the seventh and eighth graders could also learn a lot from having sixth graders in their midst. First and foremost they might learn a little humility, and realize that they aren't part of a privileged few who have been released from the confines of elementary school, but rather that they are still just students who have a significant chunk of time to put in before they reach the ultimate prize of high school. It would also be easy to encourage seventh and eighth graders to lead by example, and show maturity in their schoolwork, behaviour and attitudes, for the benefit of the younger grades.

Most importantly, as much as a K-5 elementary school could be a sanctuary for young children, a 6-8 middle school could be a refuge for kids at what can be the most physically and emotionally traumatic points in their lives. Being surrounded by others who are going through similar changes might mean that students could offer each other support, and teachers and school staff could be specifically trained and have resources in place to help kids understand and accept the changes taking place within them. Away from the demands of being the rulers of elementary school and even farther removed from the frightening prospects of high school, a sixth grader could have the time, the environment, and the resources to make his or her transition from childhood to young adulthood as smooth as it could possibly be.

Making that transition as smooth as it could possibly be would do wonders for a teenager's confidence and emotional well-being in high school and even later on in adult life. Having sixth graders in middle school is a recognition of their unique physical and emotional needs, and by placing them in middle school it lets parents and educators to give these students the attention, resources and spaces they require to learn, grow, make mistakes, and ultimately come to terms with their new bodies and minds.

Learn more about this author, Eric Goudie.
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