5th - 10 and 11 year olds. I've been teaching for 15 years.

It's an age when they can mostly begin to comprehend that life is not fair. You do have those exceptional children who don't understand that. They can understand what hurt feelings mean and most aren't deliberately cruel (although a few are.)

It's when they can start to understand that life is what you make it and that their choices DO matter. They cannot control everything that happens to them, who can? But they can choose to make the best of it, or not.

I have a student who started 5th grade not able to read. You would think she'd be teased unmercifully, but kids "get it." They celebrate all of her little successes. They're not perfect. My non reader has some other issues that can be annoying and they get on her for that stuff. But for academics, they are her cheerleaders. It's cool, what kids can do for each other.

V.