Motivation & Tools for Stakeholders

You’re not alone if you think that we can do a better job of teaching our young people about puberty. In fact, most parents want sex education taught, and very few (1-5%) remove their children from sex education classes. So, find your people and let’s get busy! Here are some resources and talking points to provide motivation for stakeholders like yourself to advocate for puberty education that is current and relevant for young people in grades 4, 5, and 6.

Why We Teach About Puberty

Girls begin puberty as young as eight or nine years of age, and boys begin puberty between ages 10 and 14. When we teach children about puberty, we…

• Prevent them from being frightened by unexplained changes in their bodies and emotions.
• Promote positive attitudes toward relationships and sexuality.
• Encourage healthy sexual development.
• Help prevent child sex abuse, create safer school spaces for LGBTQ young people, increase healthy relationships, reduce relationship violence, improve social-emotional learning, and increase media literacy. Read more.

Why We Need a Better Puberty Curriculum

Puberty education is most effective when families and educators form a partnership. Puberty: The Wonder Years helps develop a network of reliable information, protective skills, and supportive resources for our children in grades 4, 5, and 6:

• Engages educators and families as partners
• Provides children and their families with resources, and information
• Teaches children the skills they need to choose healthy behaviors and form positive relationships

Puberty: The Wonder Years Goals:

• Promoting Appreciation and Respect for the Amazing Changes Experienced by Self and Others
• Equipping Young People to Postpone Sexual Intercourse

Puberty: The Wonder Years Awareness Presentation and Videos

If you are considering adopting the Puberty: The Wonder Years curriculum, please feel free to use these resources to inform other decision-makers:

• Puberty: The Wonder Years Awareness Presentation slides and handout (PDF)
• Comparison of Puberty The Wonder Years 2021 to 2015 Presentation slides and handout
• Puberty: The Wonder Years Brochure
• 6 Weeks to Puberty Education
• Curriculum Adoption Roadmap

Watch these short videos about Puberty: The Wonder Years to learn more:

• Puberty: The Wonder Years: About the Author, Wendy Sellers
• Puberty: The Wonder Years: The Curriculum for Grades 4, 5, & 6
• Puberty: The Wonder Years: Testimonials