HOW TO CHOOSE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CHILD

As a caring and attentive parent, we all just want the best for our children. But trying to pick and choose activities that will be beneficial to their education can be overwhelming. Then, there may be the added issue of finding an activity that will be helpful for language learning. There are so many choices; dance, soccer, music lessons, hobbies, clubs, and all of these come with their own advantages.

Enrolling your child in the right after school activity can contribute to the development of the interest of a child for sports, hobbies, and most importantly, in our case, language learning.

How Extracurricular Activities Improve self-esteem

A lot of children who experience learning and attention issues may have times where they feel as though they are not good at anything. These challenges can have a negative effect on their self-esteem, making the whole learning process very stressful.

This is where extracurricular activities come in. It’s a great way for children to focus on their passions and strengths, rather than their struggles. This helps to build up their confidence and in turn can help to develop your child’s interest and inspire them to try new things.

Extracurricular Activities Can Stimulate Student Development

Extracurricular activities play an important role in a child’s development, as well as their academic performance. Studies have shown that children who partake in afterschool activities experience a significant improvement in their grades. This could be attributed to certain skills that they learn, like better time management, improved organization skills and a boost in self-esteem.

All of these can be very beneficial when it comes to language learning. For example; time management can help children to set aside a sufficient amount of time during the day to learn Spanish. Improving self-esteem also goes a long way in boosting their confidence - making them more open to the learning process.

Team sports like basketball, soccer, and baseball are great for improving things like; attention span and focus, social skills, and gross motor skills, while individual sports are beneficial in improving fine motor skills, cognitive skills, and self-esteem.

What Type Of Activity Is Best For Your Child?

Firstly, it’s important to choose an activity that your child is interested in but is also something that they will be good at. The goal of the extracurricular activity is to highlight their strengths. In this way they feel more confident when it comes to language learning.

Here are some tips for choosing the best activity for your child:

• It should be something that they’re interested

• Give your child a chance to choose their own activity or at least have some kind of a say

• Since children don’t always know what activity they want to do, so it’s a good idea to start with a free trial class.

• Give your child a few suggestions and give them some time to decide which one they would like to try

• Enquire with your child’s teacher to find out which subject they show the most interest in

• If your child has an interest in more than one activity, allow them to do both, if their schedule allows it.

What Are Your Child’s Strengths And Weaknesses?

We’ve already touched on this briefly, but it’s very important which is why we want to highlight this. Each child has different strengths and weaknesses. Extracurricular activities are the perfect way to highlight your child’s strengths, and minimize weaknesses, in a friendly and relaxed environment. This is the best way to ensure that they actually enjoy the activity and boost their confidence in the learning environment.

Generally, your child won’t be interested in an activity that they’re not good at. On the contrary, they’re more likely to enjoy an activity that they thrive at. So by choosing something that aligns with their strengths, you decrease the possibility of them not enjoying it and wanting to quit. Remember, it’s no good trying to force your child into doing something that they don’t want to.

Once your child is enrolled in the right extracurricular activity, you will more than likely see an improvement in their academic performance. Remember to check out all the programs and lessons offered by Comligo!