Major Differences Between
Elementary and Middle School
Elementary School
 Students have one teacher that teaches
every subject
 Students typically stay in one classroom
all day long
 Students are given recess
 Students can attend P.E. in the clothes
they come to school in
 Students have their own desk to keep
their belongings in
 Students don’t have as much
homework
 Most elementary schools don’t offer
extracurricular activities
 Most elementary schools do not offer
related arts classes
Middle School
 Students have several different
teachers that each teach a different
subject
 Students change classrooms to go to
different teachers
 There is no recess in middle school
 Students are required to change into
P.E. clothes in locker rooms in front of
other students
 Students have a locker to keep
belongings in
 Students have more homework
 Middle schools offer extracurricular
activities including sports, interest
clubs, music, and many others.
 Middle schools offer related arts classes
where students can study band,
orchestra, chorus, foreign languages,
and many more subjects.
Source: http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/school/middleschool/article2.html