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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

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 a

Successful after school programs What marks a successful after school program? What are the things that you should look for when enrolling your child into one such program? Other  than the obvious advantage of learning something new, successful programs  incorporate many things that help the development of the child .  Development of social skills is one of the more important objectives of a  good after school program. In a recent survey, parents indicated that  while they do want their children to respect others, they also wanted them  to imbibe skills like getting along with other children and getting used  to children outside the immediate circle of friends. Many children find it  difficult to make new friends and get along with people outside their  group.  Good after school programs place special emphasis on security and safety.  They keep children out of trouble and keep them safe. A good after school  program should be fun, especially when the children are young. If the

School based after-school programs In an effort to keep children motivated and safe , the U.S. Government sets aside a good amount of fund for financing after school programs every  year. A report by the U.S. Department of Education and Justice points out  that after school programs are very effective and is in the interests of  the society as a whole. Interestingly, it was found that Americans liked  providing school-based after school-programs in their community. Other than safety, boredom and loneliness, the poor performance of many  students also led to the need for after-school programs that are based on  the school curriculum. Children coming from low-income families were found  to lag behind in reading and grammar after a long break in the summer.  Statistics prove that if school-going children are left unsupervised after  their school, the chances of poor grades and drop out are considerably  higher. The funds provided by the Government will allow rural and  inner-ci

After school programs can be divided into 3 broad categories: academic, recreational and social. Balanced development takes place when there is  compatibility between the physical, mental as well as the educational  achievements of the child.As the name suggests recreational after school  programs are based on a sport or recreation. Some of the more common  physical activities include football, swimming and basketball.Some clubs  offer programs like gymnastics, trekking and hiking. In this case,  youngsters are often given a short class in first-aid class also. Recreational after school programs offer children an opportunity to let  off some steam and to destress themselves. The closed classroom atmosphere  and a day full of textbooks and writing cause the child to repress his  natural enthusiasm. He curbs his energy when he is required to sit quietly  in class and learn. Physical activity is an all-time low during such  times. This physical lethargy and inaction is countermand

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 thei

Potentials of after school programs With children becoming the primary focus of society, ways and means to  ensure their safety and development are being researched. The Government  too has pooled in to make a success of such programs. Here are some of the  reasons why after school programs have become so popular : 1) Preventing Juvenile Delinquency, crime and violent victimization: About 10% of juvenile crimes happen between 3 P.M. - 4 P.M. Children need  to be kept safe and out of trouble at such times 2) Preventing alcohol, drug and tobacco use. Risk-taking behavior that seeks to establish superiority in a clan is  mostly seen in 'latchkey' children. Children in their pre-teens, if they  have a meaningful relationship with a mentor, are less likely to indulge  in these kinds of destructive behavior 3) Decreases appetite for Television: An average child watches about 23 hours of TV per week. When enrolled for  some activity, the child utilizes his mental and physical

When children are literally up to their gills with the learning and sport activities in school, it may seem superfluous to enroll them for after  school activities. In spite of this, after school programs are sprouting  up in large numbers and most of these are booked full. This shows that  there is a real need for after school activities. The unavailability of parental supervision is the leading cause for the  surge in after school programs. It is seen that many children spend about  20-25 hours a week unsupervised and alone at home. And as the saying  goes, "An idle mind is a devil's workshop". Children who are left alone  to contend with too much free time invariably fall into the wrong  company. Drug abuse, alcohol, tobacco and crime come knocking at their  doors sooner rather than later. Parents enroll children to various after  school programs to keep them occupied in a productive manner. This way,  the kids are free to enjoy themselves in a supervised activ