Why We Should Have An Understanding Of Student Development In Elementary School

As a future school counselor it is important to have an understanding of child and adolescent development. Akos and Galassi identify school counselors as developmental advocates who promote positive student development (2004). There are many reasons counselors should have an understanding of student development, first, a counselor needs to kow how to talk to and counsel students in elementary verse high school. According to Piaget cognitive development theory children in elementary are in a stage called concrete operations, which “children are able to reason logically about situations and events” (Myers, Shoffner, & Briggs, 2002, p. 195). During adolescence a student enters the formal operational stage, in this stage the student is able to think abstractly, test hypotheses, and examine alternate options before making decisions. (Myers, Shoffner, & Briggs, 2002). Secondly a counselor should have an understanding of development to know how a student will respond in different situation. A student in elementary school will respond differently to getting into a fight with a friend than a middle or high school student. Middle and high school students will react differently as well. Having an understanding of how the

For example, a counselor would not do a classroom guidance activity that involved abstract thinking in an elementary setting due to the students being in the concrete operational stage of development. However, an abstract thinking would be beneficial in a high school setting. The developmental level of the students determines the programs that would be the most beneficial to them. Schlossberg, Morris, & Lieberman found that “counselor led, developmental guidance units presented in ninth-grade classrooms have potential to improve students’ expressed behavior and general school attitudes, while addressing their developmental needs” (2001, p.