Benchmarks
Middle schoolers face quite a
mix of changes as they enter
young adulthood. This includes
significant bodily changes that
trigger other milestones and affect
how they process feelings about
themselves, others, and the world
around them. Five major areas of
development will be molded and
formed alongside one another as
students move away from concrete
thinking and begin to create their
own worldview.
Spiritual
Students know biblical stories and
basic biblical truths but are beginning
to view God, the Bible, and their faith
in a more personal context and as
sources for answering hard questions.
They will face many doubts about who
God is, evaluating what they believe
while also encountering peers with
different beliefs.
Social
The average social life of a middle
schooler likely involves carefully
navigating relationships, especially
when it comes to interacting with
the opposite sex. Exploring new
friend groups, bullying, drama, and
group dating are a few common
experiences. The growing
influence of social media plays a
significant role, exposing preteens
to images, ideas, and information
while allowing them to participate
in a digital world.
Emotional
Students are beginning to gain
more perspective, compassion,
and empathy for their peers, family,
and friends. Middle schoolers
might be dealing with stressors at
home, academic challenges, and
a greater self and peer awareness
that influence how they feel about
themselves.
Intellectual
Students will likely be challenged
by teachers, classes, and overall
academic expectations in a middle
school setting. Parents might
also have higher expectations or
assign more responsibilities for
preteens at home, such as caring
for siblings, doing chores, limiting
media use, setting an alarm,
and developing general time-
management skills.
Physical
Some of the greatest physical and
hormonal changes an individual
will experience occur during the
teenage years. Physical changes
can affect a teenager's comfort
in their own skin, clothing,
coordination, ability, and overall
self-esteem.
Middle School • 2 • cph.org • Copyright © 2019 Concordia Publishing House
