Too much of school

Too much of school

When my mom finally decided to take that plum posting as a Divisional
Head, I knew I was in trouble. Her office hours stretched way beyond my 
school hours. And anyway, I was privy to the many discussions my parents 
had about 'Honey, what do we do with the kids?' Well, finally they struck 
gold - an educational after school program. Won't that be just grand? Kids 
are learning new things while parents are happily minting greenbacks!

And so, we went directly to another class after our school. The brochure 
said that they would be 'using fun activities and innovative teaching 
methods to fill the gap in your child's understanding'. I suppose they 
meant that the teacher would write down the homework and we were to copy 
it. At least, this is what happened most of the time. Of course, we didn't 
tell our parents. How would that help? They'd simply get smart and shift us to a class that would actually make us solve our homework.

I hated the classes. Mostly, I was bored to tears or falling asleep.  
After so many hours at school who'd want to spend the entire afternoon 
with the same books? But, as a child, one had little choice in these 
matters. Especially when one's parents were cleverly telling one that 
mommy's salary will help get us that spanking new TV or that video game. 
Lose some, win some!

Then, one day, my sister decided to rock the proverbial boat. She decided 
she had enough of studying and refused to go to the after school program. 
That's when my parents began to smell something stale. Shortly after that, 
they put us in a better program (o, yes, another educational one). This 
was bigger, brighter and somehow more fun. We had some  interesting games, 
and a COMPUTER too. Each of us got a chance to do something on the PC 
(this, when PCs were just beginning to make their presence felt). We 
somehow managed to blaze through our homework, most of which had to be 
done by us. Then it was time to have fun. We had a little bit of 
everything. Acting classes, speech, games and of course painting. Those 
hours we spent splashing color on pages and laughing at silly jokes were 
really the highlight of an otherwise boring day. Ironically, I began 
looking forward to my after school program. 

Now, so many years afterward, when I need to take up a job and leave my 
own child alone till I get back, I know how important these after school 
programs have become. Talk about history repeating itself! I just hope I'd 
get her into a good one, and yes, it's going to be educational too.

The Learning environment

The Learning environment 

There is often a trap in the words 'after school activities'. One may 
easily believe that since these activities are after school, they are not 
of much importance. But, one couldn't be more wrong. Research suggests 
that children pick up some of their most important skills from after 
school programs. That is why children who do not participate in any extra 
curricular activities are generally slow and less vibrant.

The learning environment that one fosters in after school activities must 
be as disciplined and as functional as that found in the school. This is 
especially true of educational after school programs. This is the best 
place to teach the child important skills like time-management and goal 
setting. Time-management is a vital skill, but it is not achieved easily. 
Children need to feel the discipline that is needed to finish a task and 
the happiness of finishing the allotted work in a specific time frame. 

Children look for different things in an after class program. The learning 
environment should be attractive, colorful and informative. Use charts, 
pictures, posters and drawings to liven up a class. Additional resources 
(resources that are not easily available in the school) will make the 
classes interesting. For instance, when teaching a biology lesson, allow 
the child to see through a microscope or see slides of bacteria. This 
will add to his knowledge and also make him more enthusiastic about his after school program.

Discipline is a must in after school activities. In fun or sport-based 
activities, it is easy for children to step out of line and wreck havoc. 
While children should be allowed to have fun, they should be curtailed 
from unacceptable behavior. The best way to enforce discipline is to lay 
down the rules at the very beginning. Let the children know what is 
unacceptable, right at the beginning. 

Rewards are an important part of any learning process. The reward can be a 
simple pat on the back or a token of appreciation. Motivate your children 
to aspire for higher things by rewarding their achievements. Holding 
competitions or sport activities where the children can show their 
proficiency is a reward in itself. 

Children can get bored easily, especially in the case of an educational 
program. The main thrust of an academic program is to repeat what has been 
taught in class and to allow the child to learn it quickly. It is 
difficult to pique the child's interest a second time, especially when the 
child is already tired of one dose of the same lesson. It is best to 
thwart boredom by using creative techniques like an impromptu extempore on 
any topic, a quiz program or a slideshow. 

After school activities are becoming more popular by the day. Parents want 
their kids to learn more. Children too have an insatiable quest for 
knowledge. In an after school program, it is possible to pay individual 
attention and quench this thirst using various effective techniques. 

Reading activities

Reading activities

In a world that is slowly but surely turning away from books and getting 
glued to monitors or television screens, the importance of developing a 
passion for reading cannot be overlooked. Reading is a habit and should be 
established when the child is relatively young. What can you do to foster 
this habit?

Enroll your child for reading classes:
There are many well structured after school reading classes that aim to 
draw the children to books. They help kids with diction, idioms and 
phrases. For young children, these classes can be fun with animated 
characters and pictures. Illustrated picture books, rhymes, silly songs 
and pretend stories all attract the young child. Use creativity to capture 
the child's vivid imagination. 

Pique your child's interest:
If your child has a favorite character, pick a series of books that 
features this character. For my son, it was Spiderman. Thanks to friendly 
neighborhood spidey, my son latched on to comics fairly early in his 
childhood. 

Build a home-library:
A skill like reading cannot be learnt in isolation. Do not leave all the 
hard work to the after school program. Pick up books that you think your 
child will like. The Internet is also a rich resource of reading games 
that will attract little children to the fine art of reading. 

Quirky after school programs

Quirky after school programs 

With the growing interest in after school programs shown by the Government
as well as parents, new and hitherto unheard of programs are being 
explored. In an attempt to make a child aware of his responsibilities as 
an individual and as a citizen, these after school programs make use of a 
child's natural curiosity and his irrepressible energy.

Investigative Skills:
In some schools in Kernersville, children are developing their 
investigative skills. Children meet with adults who introduce them to the 
details of fake non-violent crimes. They take notes, visit the scene and 
gather information. Students learn to listen to alibis, collect 
fingerprints and gather any other pieces of evidence. According to the 
principal, these activities challenge her students' problem solving 
skills. Children learn to think critically and to form informed judgments. 

Fisheries and sciences:
In North Carolina, children who are interested get a chance to win a 
scholarship through their after school activity. Here, students are given 
a chance to face hands-on fisheries science experiments in a freshwater or 
marine setting. Professionals, educators and experts from the world of 
Fisheries act as mentors. Students accepted into the program get a $3,000 
scholarship.

The above examples go to show that after school activities are becoming 
serious. They are slowly morphing into important parts of a child's 
education and moving away from the fun-and-frolic-only programs of the 
past.

Over-scheduling kids

Over-scheduling kids

Several studies are expressing a growing concern that after school
programs are pressurizing kids to do too much too soon. They point out 
that when a child's afternoon is filled with classes, trips, sports and 
other forms of organized activities, kids do not really get the time to be 
just kids. They are even being deprived of the cherished family time.

Undoubtedly, there are children who are being burdened with a schedule 
that places too much demand on their time. This leads to increased levels 
of stress on the child and the family. As regular studies cannot be 
ignored, children are almost always on the run to achieve more. Such 
children are really bearing a burden that is too heavy for their frail 
little shoulders.

In an ideal world, all children would go home directly after school to 
loving and caring parents who are waiting for the children to come home. 
But the social and economic realities show that many children have to 
attend after school courses because there is no one available at home. For 
such children, these classes are a boon. 

Parents should however restrain themselves from reading too much into 
these activities. After school programs are complimentary in nature. They 
give additional support. Therefore, their importance should also be 
limited.  

Keeping children motivated

Keeping children motivated

Initial enthusiasm in after school activities tends to wane after the 
first excitement is over. This is but natural. The trick is to keep up the 
hard work even after this. How do you keep your child motivated? This is 
of particular importance when the child goes in for educational after 
school programs.

Make the career-academics connection early on:
Let your child understand how important studies are. Let him know that 
an excellent career is wholly dependent on wholesome learning. To develop 
his interest in studies, plan family activities that are connected with 
his studies. Emphasize the real-world connection to academics whenever 
possible.

Set goals:
Let your child know, through example, that hard work will be rewarded. If 
your child believes that achievement is a natural by-product of effort, he 
is more likely to put in hard work. Such children are also less likely to 
drop out of programs and college at a later stage. 

Reward success:
When a child achieves something, it is necessary to praise his hard work. 
Positive reinforcements enhance confidence and increase self-esteem. 
Conversely, beware of criticism. It can ruin the frail ego of children and 
play havoc with their minds. 

How much is too much?

How much is too much?

Should your child go for the football practice 5 days a week?  Are 3 days
enough? It is common for parents to be a little confused when it comes to 
deciding how much is too much with reference to after school activities. 
They argue that since most of the activities are fun (as different from 
studies), children will simply lap up these classes. But, too much of fun 
can also make a child sick. Here is a simple guide that will help you 
decide how much is too much for your child.

Kindergarten:
Your child is just beginning to learn to interact and get used to 
discipline. His or her after-school life should be simple and carefree. 
One or two classes per week are enough at the beginning. Once the child 
settles down, look for more challenging activities like a music program.

Grade 1:
One or two activities per week, play dates and playground visits are 
recommended. Avoid competitive sports activities. The child is still too 
young to have to worry about winning and losing. After the rigors of a 
full day at school, he or she needs a healthy outlet for pent up energy. 
Physical activities and noncompetitive sports are best for this age.

Grade 2:
Your child is old enough to voice opinions on what activities he or she 
wants. Sports, skating, swimming or computers - steer him towards things 
he likes. Many children begin lessons on a musical instrument around this 
age. But, allow your child some 'alone time' during which he can unwind 
and just do whatever he wishes.

Grade 3:
Socialization begins to take center stage. Team sports are a good choice. 
Developing motor skills, painting, drawing etc are good too. Let the child 
explore areas of interests. But leave aside enough time for the family and 
for fun activities. 

Grade 4:
At this age, the child will tell you what he likes. He needs to get 
involved in activities that will boost his confidence. This will also help 
him manage stress as this is the time when social pressure is beginning to 
build. But, beware of the homework demon. Your child needs more time with 
his studies. Balancing his schoolwork with other activities is very 
important. 

Grade 5: 
The fifth grader is bubbling with energy and will want to do just 
about everything. But she or he may conveniently push studies to the 
background. So, close supervision is needed. Keep one or two days free for 
family time and other activities. Now is a great time to get your child 
interested in community service. 

Middle school:
Steer him away from TV. Get him engaged in activities that reinforce 
learning. Academic performance can be improved by encouraging your preteen 
to join clubs like the Girl/Boy Scouts program, language clubs, chess 
clubs etc. As a thumb rule, 16-20 hours a week of extra activity should be 
more than enough. But look out for signs of burnout.

What you select for your child and how long he should work at it is 
basically decided by the child's temperament. As a parent, you should 
closely observe your child and base your decisions on feedback from the 
child himself. 

Art-based activities

Art-based activities

A recent report by several independent researchers concludes that 
participating in the arts nurtures the development of social, personal and 
cognitive skills. Programs based on Arts can improve academic achievement 
and decrease the tendency towards delinquency. It helps youth form 
positive attitudes about themselves and build self-esteem.

Arts programs involve communication, interpretation and understanding of 
complex symbols, much like mathematics and languages. Thus it fosters 
higher-order analytical skills and skills of evaluation and synthesis. 
Many of the programs make the child regularly use multiple skills thus 
making him dynamic and versatile. 

Development of imagination, judgment and philosophy are fringe benefits of 
an arts-based activity. As opposed to the short 45-minute duration of the 
art classes at school, the extra time allowed in after school activities 
allows the child to get more involved. This results in more satisfactory 
opportunities for development of latent capabilities in the child. In 
turn, the child learns to set high standards of achievement. He 
understands what sustained focus is and learns that regular practice is 
the way to excellence. 

In the shy or the withdrawn child, theatre, speech or drama lessons may be 
an outlet for pent up emotions. As drama entails getting into the 'skin' 
of another person, the child learns to verbalize emotions and express 
thoughts. These reasons account for the popularity of arts-based