Unlocking Potential Through Enriching Activities

Skill Building Through Extracurricular Learning Opportunities

As we approach the end of 2024, it is a great opportunity to reflect on all of our children’s experiences, including those that are academic and social. Extracurricular activities are also a key element in a child’s schedule that should be reflected upon. By engaging in sports, arts, clubs, and various after-school programs, students not only pursue their interests but also develop essential life skills, and reflecting on these skills is integral to a child’s growth. 

This month’s focus on extracurricular activities is to inspire and to help guide families in understanding the purpose of pursuing learning opportunities outside of the classroom, and what it means to truly partner with your child to explore their interests. The ultimate goal and focus for both you and your child should be on activities that span disciplines and provide opportunities to broaden horizons and experiences. Statistics show that nearly 80% of students who participate in some sort of extracurricular activity are more likely to succeed in academic areas. 

Intentional Partnership Between Parent and Child

Choosing the right extracurricular activities for your child involves balancing guidance with allowing them to explore their own interests. Involving your child in the decision-making process is essential. When kids have a voice in selecting their activities, they are more likely to stay engaged and excited in what they are doing. Helping kids pursue something they genuinely like will make them feel valued, respected, and motivated, all of which are beneficial for their overall growth. Checking in with your child about their progress since the start of the school year will help in assessing if an extracurricular is serving the right purpose. Your partnership with your child will also help them feel a sense of ownership. It is important to note that balance and scheduling will also help to guide this conversation.
 

Intentional Conversations: Questions and Probing

There are many ways to assess whether or not an extracurricular is right for your child. It may be that your child isn’t enjoying a particular activity, or that they truly enjoy this activity. It could also be that they feel as though they won’t be able to succeed or they have achieved their potential. In order to get to the root of why they may want to quit or pivot away from this activity or if it is one to continue perusing, a conversation and reassessment of priorities will need to occur. 

See below for questions that may help spark a conversation between you and your child about extracurricular activities.

Reflecting on current extracurriculars – If your child is already in extracurricular activities, consider asking them the following:

• What do you enjoy most about your extracurricular activity?

• What is something new that you have learned in the last month, through this activity?

Picking a new activity – If you want to pick a new extracurricular activity:

• What are some skills that you would like to build?

• What are you currently interested in?

• What is something that you do in school that you would like to do more of?

What to ask if your child is feeling a lack of interest or wants to quit an activity:

Perhaps your child is feeling overwhelmed with their schedule, is there too much happening outside of school. Do they feel like they have a balance of their academic, social, and extracurricular lives?  It may be that your child feels like they aren’t good at a particular activity. You may consider encouraging them to try or ask the following: 

• Tell me specifically about what you don’t enjoy? 

• What is making you feel like you may not be good at or may not fit into this activity? 

• Encourage them to have a growth mindset

While unfortunate, it is possible that your child may be comparing themselves to their peers or others who are partaking in this extracurricular. Consider taking the time to celebrate their individual achievements and on their personal growth. 

Often children will be more engaged in an activity when their friends are also involved. However, this is a great opportunity to talk to your child about how different communities can be built in different parts of their lives and this is a great chance to make new friends.

Take into consideration: planning for and assessing impact of extracurriculars 

Here are some questions to ponder before revisiting if an extracurricular is right for your child:

• How am I choosing to measure success and growth? 

  • Think about grit and perseverance (click here for a video)

• Are they being continuously challenged in an appropriate and manageable way? 

• Are there still opportunities for growth for my child within this activity? 

• Does my child have skills where either I or their teacher would like to see growth in?
   

A Holistic Approach:

When choosing extracurricular activities for your child, it is important to look at everything from a holistic lens. Is your child being exposed to a multitude of activities or potentially focused on just one activity where they are rigorously building upon many skills?