The Middle School Conundrum - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com Many fifth graders have walked out the doors of their elementary schools for the last time, or will do so this week, starting new schools in the fall. The transition to middle school can be a blessing or a curse for these young children on the verge of becoming teenagers You don't have to have to read all the studies to know that the ages between 10 and 13 are socially awkward ones. But they are also important ones academically, crucial in determining college and career outcomes. Would these preteens be better off staying in an elementary school that covers kindergarten through eighth grade? Or is there a reason why this age group needs to be sectioned off into a separate middle school?