Chapter 6: How do adolescents develop?

 Adolescents are constantly changing and developing. There is no right or wrong order of development because we all develop differently and at different times. Developmental aspects of adolescents include intellectual, moral, developmental, physical, and reader. When children begin to change intellectually they progress from a sensory-motor stage up to a formal operational stage. This usually does not happen until around the age of 14. When children begin to change physically they begin to question if they are normal. They do not understand the changes that are occurring to their bodies so this can be a confusing time. Developing morally is a process where children at first make decisions based on reward and punishments, then begin to follow the rules of society and/or religion, and eventually recognize that sometimes laws have to be broken for humanity's sake. Adolescents also have basic needs. Physiological needs such as food, sleep, etc. need to be met before children can focus on anything else. Other important needs include safety, love and the sense of belonging, esteem and self-actualization.

Understanding the developmental process of children can help educators and librarians move children to other levels of development by finding books that "speak to" where children are. Children need books that they can relete to and can see themselves in. Books can also help children move through the hierarchy of needs. They can relate to characters in books that are working through thier own needs within the stories. 

Children also need our help to develop as readers. As stated in previous chapters, reading has many benefits. We, as educators and librarians can help to develop readers that are empathic, that read for delight, that read stories they can relate to, that read to experience a world that is new to them, and to read simply for pleasure. Isn't is amazing that we can have such an important and powerful influence on adolescents?