Development of personal qualities of younger adolescents influencing adaptation to the middle school
Fifth grade is a difficult period for a child. At present, the number of children experiencing difficulties in adapting to new circumstances in the organization of the educational process during the transition to the next level of education is increasing. The signs of trouble include a decrease in academic performance and motivation, deterioration of discipline, an increase in morbidity, etc. Topical issues are the effective organization of the adaptation period, cooperation of all participants in the educational process, determining the content and forms of organization of psychological and pedagogical support for this process. The authors determined the features of the effective development of personal qualities of younger adolescents that affect adaptation to the middle school level: taking into account the age and individual characteristics of students (anxiety, self-esteem, school motivation, communication skills, creativity, creativity); development of personal self-determination of adolescents, psychological preparation for the transition to a new type of community and activity. Among the main problems of adaptation, the following can be distinguished: low motivation (50 %), relationships with peers (50 %), general anxiety (50 %), fear of self-expression (50 %), situations of knowledge testing (82 %), etc. A program is presented for development of younger adolescents ’personal qualities that affect adaptation to the middle school, including elements of art therapy, fairy tale therapy, cartoon therapy, quests, game and training sessions, work not only with students, but also with teachers and parents. The approbation ofthe program took place on the basis of an educational institution in the city of Tula. The study involved 16 students of the 5<sup>th</sup> grade. The results obtained and the developed program can be used in the work ofthe psychological service of the school.