How After-School Programs Can Improve Your Child's Soft Skills
Are you contemplating enrolling your children in an after-school program? Perhaps you are not sure if it is a good value or if your children really need it when they are doing so well in school. The truth is that after-school education programs offer more than just academic assistance. They also improve your children’s character and emotional maturity by building soft skills.
What Are Soft Skills?
Soft skills are behaviors and personality traits needed to work effectively with others. Examples of such qualities include the following:
Communication
Time management
Self-confidence
Resilience
Teamwork
Creativity
Leadership
Problem-solving
These have just as much an impact on academic performance and social interactions as hard skills do. They also have been increasingly influential in obtaining college admission and scholarships. Institutions want students who not only have lots of knowledge and intelligence but who can also manage their emotions and cooperate with their peers.
Note that your children can benefit now, not just later, from acquiring these soft skills. Their experiences in the classroom will be better, even if nothing about school has changed, and it will show in reviews of their work.
How Do After-School Programs Help Develop Soft Skills?
Although after-school education programs may focus on academic curricula, they also provide an environment in which children can practice the above skills through the activities and interactions fostered by the programs. In addition, students form healthy personal relationships with both peers and teachers, especially older youth who may receive mentorship or go through an apprenticeship.
It is true that traditional classrooms do these things as well, but additional programs offer more opportunities. For example, smaller class sizes can encourage introverts to participate, and studying a subject they are interested in can give students more motivation to put in effort.
However, it is important to note that not all after-school programs come with these benefits. Studies have revealed the two qualities that make the most difference: program quality and student participation. The higher the quality and participation, the more the students gained from involvement in the program. You can judge quality by how well-trained staff are; how much the program explicitly focuses on soft skills; and how connected it is to schools, homes, and the community.
Find Everything You Need at Best in Class
If you are looking for an educational enrichment center that meets the above criteria, look no further than Best in Class Education Center. Our programs build students who succeed not only in school but also in all areas of life. Contact us by calling 1-888-683-8108 or by visiting our website to find out how we can help your children learn the soft skills they need to thrive.
