Upper Elementary Years

Christine Finnan holds a joint position as an associate professor in the Foundations, Secondary, and Special Education Department and the Anthropology Department at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. Prior to assuming this position, she was an associate professor in the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle Grades Department. In this capacity, she helped develop curriculum for a BS in elementary education, preparing graduates to work in second- to sixth-grade classrooms. Since 1990, Finnan has been involved in school reform initiatives, particularly the Accelerated Schools Project and more recently Partners for Acceleration. Using her anthropological lens, she examines the interplay between school and classroom culture and reform models. She works closely with teachers, observing in classrooms and providing professional development. Finnan coauthored Accelerating the Learning of All Children: Cultivating School, Classroom and Individual Change (Westview Press, 2000) with Julie D. Swanson and co-edited Accelerated Schools in Action: Lessons from the Field (Corwin Press, 1996) with Ed St. John, Jane McCarthy, and Simeon Slovacek and has published extensively in edited volumes and journals. Finnan’s joint appointment reflects her academic training and scholarship. She became interested in studying education through her research on children’s play and folklore. She completed a Master of Arts degree from University of Texas, Austin in anthropology and folklore. Her research focused on the study of third-grade children’s spontaneous play. Finnan completed a PhD in education at Stanford University in 1980, focusing on anthropology and education. While at Stanford, she continued to study children’s play, examining how Vietnamese refugee children used play to assimilate into a new culture.

"In most states, tests designed within the context of accountability mandates target students in Grades 3 through 8. The more we understand about middle childhood, the more we as educators are able to meet children′s needs and the demands placed on educators by accountability legislation. The author makes a substantial contribution to this increased understanding."

• PrefacePurpose and AudienceBackgroundOrganization of the BookData Sources and CollectionAcknowledgmentsAbout the Author1. Why Focus on Upper Elementary Grades and Students?Upper Elementary Children and Grade LevelsDefining Upper Elementary Teachers: Their Practice and the ProfessionAdvocating for Upper Elementary Students2. Development of 8- to 12-Year-Old ChildrenDevelopment as LearnersCognitive DevelopmentLanguage DevelopmentDevelopment as Individuals and Members of SocietyDevelopment of Sense of SelfAutonomy and RelatednessDoing What Is RightPhysical DevelopmentRefining the Broad Strokes of Generalizations3. Children as Members of GroupsSituating Group Differences: Biological, Cultural, and Societal InfluencesBiological InfluencesCultural InfluencesSocial, Historical, and Economic InfluencesEthnic and Racial Group AffiliationRace and Ethnicity: Relation to AchievementRace and Ethnicity: Relation to Social DevelopmentSocioeconomic Group AffiliationSocioeconomic Influences on AchievementSocioeconomic Influences on Social DevelopmentEnglish-Language LearnersEnglish-Language Learners and AchievementEnglish-Language Learners and Social DevelopmentGender AffiliationGender and Academic AchievementGender and Social DevelopmentGender and Physical DevelopmentExceptional LearnersAchievement of Exceptional LearnersSocial Development of Exceptional ChildrenThe Holistic Child: Mixing Group Identities4. Individual Developmental DifferencesIndividuals as LearnersVariation in Cognition and IntelligenceVariation in Motivation to LearnVariation in Expressions of CreativityExceptional Variation Variation in Development of Self-Concept and Social CompetencyPhysical VariationSummary5. Children’s Lives Outside of SchoolThe Multiple Contexts of Children’s LivesFamily and Home Friends and PeersNeighborhood and CommunityOther Important ContextsHow Children Spend Time Outside of SchoolAdult-Organized, Sponsored, or Supervised ActivitiesChild-Driven ActivitiesSummary6. The School Environment: Supporting Accomplishment, Belonging, and EngagementSchool Role in Developing a Sense of AccomplishmentDefining and Measuring AccomplishmentAdult Expectations for AccomplishmentStudent Expectations for AccomplishmentSchool Role in Developing a Sense of BelongingInviting Spaces and Warm Adult RelationsBelonging Within the Peer NetworkExtending the Sense of Belonging to FamilyExtending Belonging to the CommunitySchool Role in Engaging Students Academically, Socially, and PhysicallyAcademic EngagementSocial EngagementPhysical EngagementSchool Culture, Organizational Structures, Policies, and ProceduresSummary7. The Classroom Environment: Supporting Accomplishment, Belonging, and EngagementClassroom Role in Developing a Sense of AccomplishmentAcademic AccomplishmentSocial AccomplishmentPhysical AccomplishmentClassroom Role in Developing a Sense of BelongingBelonging in a CommunityJoy and CooperationDemocracy and EquityCare and NurtureExtending Community to OthersClassroom Role in Developing a Sense of EngagementAcademic EngagementSocial EngagementPhysical EngagementSummary8. Teaching and LearningImportant KnowledgeAddressing What Students Are Expected to KnowAddressing Student Interest and KnowledgeUsing Knowledge to Meet Student Needs for Accomplishment, Belonging, and EngagementSelecting or Designing Appropriate AssessmentsAssessing Acquisition of Desired KnowledgeAssessing Students′ Prior Knowledge and Knowledge AssimilationUsing Assessment to Meet Diverse Students′ Needs for Accomplishment, Belonging, and EngagementDelivering InstructionTeaching the ContentTeaching the StudentsUsing Instruction to Meet Diverse Students′ Needs for Accomplishment, Belonging, and EngagementImportance of Aligning Content, Instruction, and AssessmentPutting the Pieces TogetherIssues Surrounding Teaching and LearningAligning Content, Assessment, and Instruction to Promote Accomplishment, Belonging, and Engagement9. Supporting Upper Elementary Students: Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Professionalism, and AdvocacyA Framework of Upper Elementary Developmentally Appropriate PracticeActions of StudentsActions of TeachersCharacteristics of the Classroom EnvironmentCharacteristics of the Teaching and Learning ProcessProfessional IdentityBecoming Upper Elementary TeachersSupporting Upper Elementary Teachers in the ProfessionNational Board Middle Childhood / Generalist CertificationAdvocating for Upper Elementary ChildrenCompiling and Encouraging Research on Upper Elementary Children and TeachingExamining Policies and PracticesWhat Can You Do to Help Upper Elementary Children?Developmentally Appropriate PracticeProfessional Identity for Upper Elementary TeachersAdvocacyReferencesIndex