As the new academic year is beginning, along with regular classes parents are also looking for classes where they can take their kids in after school hours. But is this effort even worth it, to stretch the child & oneself beyond the school hours.
After school activities help kids in a variety of ways starting from physical benefits due to the increased physical activity, to mental, psychological and social development. Scientific research proves that encouraging children to engage in activities after school could aid their development and build a better future. Following are some points which researches have proven in favor of quality after school programs
Provide an Academic Boost
According to a study, kids who participate in after school activities surpassed their peers in academic performance. Also kids who participate in after school classes are more likely to come to school and stay in school, more likely to hand in their work
Improve Social Skills
After School Classes unlike school provide a free environment to child where they can interact freely with their peers, forming strong relationships with like-minded kids. Hence these activities give kids opportunity to express themselves more freely and help in building strong social bonds.
Learning New Skills & Discovering their Passion
After school Activities provide kids opportunity to learn skills which they otherwise would not have learnt in schools. Hence helping kids discover their real passion. These activities play a key role in maintaining high level of enthusiasm in a child. Also kids who find a passion early have greater advantage by staying focused on what they really want and working towards a goal.
Better profiling of the child; higher customization
After school classes usually run on a much smaller scale than a school hence the child doesn’t get lost in the system. When it comes to understanding or profiling your child, data with meticulous observation from multiple classes helps in profiling child better. Also as these classes have smaller scale it’s easier to customize them as per the requirements of the child.
Train child on Multitasking & Time Management
Kids learn how to manage their time and to prioritize tasks depending on their interests. Also since they have to juggle between multiple tasks they learn an important skill of multitasking.
Better Behavior development
Afterschool activities positively impact youth behavioral outcomes. Students who take part in an after school program exhibit more emotional stability. They behave better and adjust more smoothly when transitioning to new grades or new schools. They have less disciplinary citations and are expelled less than their peers who do not participate in any activity.
Help build a strong Resume
Another benefit of after school activities is that they look great on college applications. In addition to academic performance, many colleges look at what activities students are involved in outside of school as a way to fully understand each other. Kids who are involved in other activities along with regular school are usually preferred over kids who only went to school.
Make a Happy & a Confident Child
As kids can express themselves more in these classes and they can choose their interests they get a boost in their Confidence. Also as they become more aware and they interact with different people they gain Confidence.
When kids are provided with the environment of their interest, they can excel and will be happier internally. A happy child is always focused to do new things, which interests her.