STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS

Students have certain characteristics associated with their age and Level of development. The following characteristics may be used as guidelines to help you prepare your career presentations. 

Students: Kindergarten - Grade 3 has limited attention span (15-20 minutes for one activity)

views experiences in relation to self (views experiences as revolving around self)

has limited vocabulary — needs explanations in simple, concrete terms

experiences center around home and school

is learning basic skills

enjoys doing simple tasks, likes "to work"

needs to see the relationship between the world of work and school 

Students: Grades 4-6 has a somewhat longer attention span of 20-30 minutes for one activity

views experiences in relation to self and others

has expanding vocabulary but still needs explanation in simple terms

has previous experiences centered on home, school, and community

is working to refine basic skills

is realizing "it's a big world out there" enjoys doing a work task

needs to see the relationship between school and the world of work 

Students: Grade 7-8 has attention span of up to 30 minutes for one activity

needs specific information about education and training, requirements for jobs, relevance of school subjects, and importance of attendance and attitudes

needs to ask questions

needs information on occupational descriptions, salary range, job ladder, and entry-level requirements

has vocabulary of young adult, but still does not understand technical terms 

Students: Grades 9-12 has expressed interest in several career fields

is mature enough to do individual exploration of self and career fields

needs a chance to "get the feel of the job" through shadowing, field trips, co-op education, apprenticeships, etc.

would gain insight into a particular job through shadowing, field trips, etc.

needs to relate school subjects to real work situations

has vocabulary approaching adult level but needs explanation of technical terms