There are an exceptional number of publications on the transition from elementary (primary) school to middle school, also known as secondary school, junior high school or lower-middle school. The major reason is that the transition to middle school is an event that has multiple and harmful implications. Several reasons contribute to the difficulty of secondary school adjustment, including misleading advertisement of the schools, a significant change in the teachers’ behavior and academic demands, and, especially, the developmental transitions to adolescence and the associated difficulties in managing parent-adolescent relationships. Relying on the P–E Fit Model, it is commonly agreed that the characteristics and demands that secondary schools impose on newcomers do not fit the needs of adolescents. In line with their developmental needs, secondary school are more oriented to their peers’ expectations than to those of their teachers and parents, and are more engaged in matters related to their self-esteem and social life, rather than learning “boring materials” or staying at school while their out-of-school life seems to be more exciting. Interventions to foster adjustment to secondary school are presented and discussed.

The transition to elementary school (i.e., 1st grade) is not the first major life-course transition that children have experienced. However, due to its nature and expanded intervention in children’s lives, transition to 1st grade is a significant, exciting, and magical event. In the academic domain, new elementary school students are expected to gain mastery over literacy. This is not an easy task, especially in cases of diglossia, and it is considered as a first step in school adjustment. However, elementary school adjustment is more than literacy; it includes a vast list of demands, such as: wake up earlier, wear uniform, carry/pull a (heavy) bag, sit on a chair for hours, exposure to punishments, concerns with toilet needs, managing well socially during class breaks, encountering parents’ questions, worries, and higher expectations, etc. Several figures are important along this process, especially the homeroom teacher. Yet, parental and familial reactions to various events are also crucial, calling for an efficient school–family collaboration. Altogether, successful adjustment to elementary school will significantly shape students’ feelings toward learning until graduation from high school.