Everyone agrees that early education and development is an important part of any child’s life, however not everyone can agree on the best methods for doing so. Day care, kindercare, summer camps, and after school programs are all examples of ways in which parents and educators can supplement education.

Activities such as after school programs can be extremely helpful in a child’s development, and are a stimulating, fun, and engaging way to give children an educational and developmental head start of sorts. There’s a reason that the top private schools across the country offer after school programs ? it’s because they’re highly effective! Here are a just a few out of many benefits provided by after school programs.

Learning soft skills

Emotional intelligence, often referred to simply as “EQ”, has a long list of soft, yet important, skills that are very important. For example, empathy is finally gaining the recognition it deserves in education with school curriculums incorporating more and more empathy building activities and lesson plans. After school programs provide many such activities in a more relaxed, open environment than during the hours of the school day. Mastering soft skills is essential to developing communication skills.

Gain confidence and build self esteem

Competitive academic environments can steadily wear down a student’s self esteem, causing stress and decreasing their ability to focus and learn. Students can feel pressured to succeed and stand out among their peers but their performance can suffer as a result of this preoccupation. After school programs provide an easy going, non-competitive, and stress free environment that encourages self expression and overall growth. This gain in confidence can and will eventually translate into the classroom, which in turn can improve a student’s performance.

Keeps students physically active and mentally stimulated

It’s so easy for kids to become sedentary these days, with the large number of digital gadgets and gizmos available to them at any given time. With rates of chronic childhood illness on the rise such as diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure, it’s more important than ever for children to remain physically active.