Everything future teachers of young adolescents need to know is here—characteristics of young adolescents, planning for their instruction, implementing instruction, and assessing their learning—covered thoroughly, and presented in a down-to-earth manner that emphasizes the practical as well as the theoretical. These authors encourage future teachers to take an eclectic approach to teaching, one that actively engages the adolescent in his or her own learning and gives every student an equal chance to participate, learn, grow, and succeed. A wealth of examples and exercises model the text's tenets; while the authors' keen understanding of their subject keeps content to-the-point.