Benefits of Attractive Afterschool Programmes

It takes a community to raise a child. Afterschool programmes help foster that community, to build social skills and a growth mindset.

There has been a growing recognition that afterschool programmes can and do facilitate the social and emotional development of young learners. Afterschool programmes give children the opportunity to thrive in an environment that encourages exploration and creative expression. They provide inspiring and enriching activities that the kids cannot get elsewhere.

Afterschool is not school and it is not babysitting. It is a structured and resourceful environment that invests in a child’s development, from social emotional development, to better understanding of their interests and goals, to identifying their likes and dislikes, and to valuing team efforts.

Through afterschool programmes, students learn to improve social and interpersonal skills, engage with their environment, discover their potential, get the right assistance to do homework, and have a safe environment to spend time away from home. Afterschool programmes also facilitate teachers to assist students to learn about the importance of process instead of just the end results. Besides this, students nurture their interaction skills with each other while having the opportunity to recognise their talents in a different environment outside their classroom.

The variety of afterschool programmes available such as fun games, dance, homework sharing sessions, art and craft, drama and many more, offers a safe and a positive environment not only to students but their teachers to gain a growth mindset.

A growth mindset will lead the teachers to gain better experiences as classroom instructors, become more engaged with the school and the students. Moreover, teachers can pursue their own interests and passion through conducting their own afterschool programme. Teachers will be able to create a whole new level of teaching methods and become growth minded instructors. The best part is the fact that there might be additional income and benefits for teachers and the school itself.

A good afterschool programme can be a productive learning time that gives benefits to both the teachers and the students. These are afterschool programme benefits;

1. Safe Environment

Afterschool activities provide safe places for young learners to spend time and learn while their parents work.

2. Develop Interpersonal Skills

Aftershool activities provide opportunities that build the kids as well as adults. It can be a good way to create and maintain friendships. Afterschool programmes give kids a chance to interact with peers in a different environment. It is usually less formal than the regular school day. Whatever the focus of the programme, It will encourage your child to interact with kids she may or may not already know. Making friends may be easier for some students in this environment. Afterschool programmes include many opportunities to socialize.

3. Improve Social Skills

Children learn about team work during afterschool activities. At homework time, kids would help each other, check answers and compliment each other’s work. During gym time, they would dance together or play games. Rarely do they work or play alone.

4. Supplement to School Day

Some afterschool programmes focus on academics and provide extra help to students who need it. Many afterschool programmes offer structured homework help. Homework can often cause friction between kids with learning and attention issues and their parents. So getting it done during the programme can make everyone’s evening more pleasant and relaxing.

5. Better Engagement & Confidence

Afterschool programmes help kids feel more comfortable interacting with teachers. During the school day, many teachers feel pressure to get through their lesson plan. In afterschool programmes, the group is usually smaller. Teachers have a chance to provide more individualised attention. The teachers also tend to be less formal after school. This helps students to feel less pressure to get everything correct. They may be more likely to ask for assistance and more confident that they’ll receive positive responses.

6. Discover Their Potentials

Children are wired to learn through play. Many afterschool programmes are built around fun activities such as dance, sports and drama. These programmes help students discover that they have talents for art, dance, sports or other activities. Getting recognised for their talents could be a source of pride and confidence.