Engaging middle and high school students in relevant, collaborative learning experiences is a challenge many educators face. Research shows that student engagement is linked to critical outcomes such as academic achievement, school completion, and overall well-being. However, when students fail to see connections between their lessons and real life, they disengage. Ensuring that curriculum content is relevant and valuable in students’ eyes is key to fostering motivation and participation.

Stylistic Choices for Middle and High School Video Content

Engaging middle and high school students requires content that is age-appropriate, relevant, and dynamic. The Everyday Speech curriculum is designed with intentional stylistic choices to capture students’ attention, promote interactive learning, and foster critical thinking. These elements ensure that lessons remain relatable, challenging, and meaningful for older students.

To appeal to a wide range of learners, Everyday Speech incorporates varied video styles that align with students’ interests and cognitive needs.

Age-Appropriate Video Modeling

Video modeling is a teaching method that uses short, targeted videos to demonstrate a specific skill. Video modelling provides a way for educators to complement traditional instructional practices with technology-driven instruction that demonstrates skills and behaviors through realistic, age-appropriate scenarios. 

Everyday Speech video modeling lessons for middle and high school students focus on skills and behaviors that reflect experiences and challenges that these students face, including: 

• Study Skills & Executive Functioning – Lessons on stress management, anxiety, and mental health strategies to help students navigate academic and personal challenges.
• Navigating Transitions – Support for students as they transition into middle school, high school, college, and beyond.
• Healthy Relationships & Boundaries – Discussions on identity, citizenship, and fostering self-compassion.
• Digital Wellness – Guidance on healthy social media use and creating a balanced online presence.
• Age-Appropriate Mindfulness Techniques – Students engage in visualizations, guided meditations, and breathing exercises, which differ from the yoga exercises that our curriculum features for younger students. 

Here is an example of a video modeling lesson designed for middle and high school students. It highlights examples and non-examples of a key skill, helping learners better understand and apply it in real-world situations:

TED Talk-Inspired Videos 

Modeled after the engaging and thought-provoking style of TED Talks, these videos use storytelling, personal anecdotes, and clear, concise language to deliver powerful messages. The conversational tone, compelling visuals, and authentic delivery help inspire, inform, and challenge students’ perspectives.

Gaming-Influenced Videos 

Aesthetics in digital learning go beyond just looking good – visual design plays a crucial role in enhancing engagement and comprehension by creating intuitive and emotionally resonant experiences. Our videos for secondary students are thoughtfully designed for neurotypical and neurodivergent learners, blending virtual gaming aesthetics with learning about social communication skills. This immersive, interactive style makes learning more engaging and accessible for all students.

Music-Enhanced Learning 

Music can help shape emotions and boost cognitive function. Incorporating it into a curriculum can enhance learning by improving student focus and engagement, making it a useful tool for middle and high school students. To support this, we collaborated with a composer and music producer to create original low fidelity (i.e., low-fi) music for our video lessons. This laid-back, rhythmic style is popular among adolescents, helping them stay focused and relaxed while studying or working.

What This Means for Secondary Educators

At Everyday Speech, we are committed to creating engaging, research-backed content that meets the diverse needs of middle and high school students. By integrating age-appropriate video modeling, TED Talk-inspired lessons, gaming-influenced visuals, and music-enhanced learning, we ensure that students stay motivated, connected, and actively involved in their learning.

These stylistic choices not only support critical thinking and social skills growth but also provide educators with flexible, effective tools for fostering student engagement. As we continue to refine and expand our curriculum, our goal remains the same: to empower students with the skills they need to thrive in school and beyond.