The Advantages Extracurricular Activities has on Elementary Students
Mark, a fourth grader at Springfield Elementary came home and explained to his mom about the friend he had made during band class, and the teamwork he was involved in during volleyball practice. Mark failed to mention to his mom anything about his regular school day. “Extracurricular activities serve the same goal and functions as the required and elective courses in the curriculum. However, extracurricular activities provide experiences that are not required in the formal course of study. These after school programs allow students to apply the knowledge that they have learned in other classes and acquire concepts of democratic life” (Lunnenburg 2). Mark like many children usually forget the essentials from the normal school day curriculum like mathematics or sentence structure, but remember everyday lessons learned during after school programs. These programs or extracurricular activities include sports, clubs, dance, music, arts, drama and such, all programs that benefit elementary students. Today, in the United States when elementary schools do not have enough funds for these programs, the extracurricular activities are the first eliminated to save money. Elimination of these programs causes more harm than good to the students because these programs are just as beneficial as the normal school curriculum. Therefore all of these extracurricular programs must remain as an option in school districts.
Studies among elementary students have shown that there are advantages that come along with providing extracurricular activities in schools. The first very important advantage is what it teaches these children, ages 5 to 10 during the early stages of cognitive d...
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...kills that children gain from extracurricular activities can be useful and important when discovering their identity in early adolescents and adulthood.
Clearly, it would be wise for schools to make an effort in fighting to keep extracurricular activities even when the school budget is tight. There has to be a better arrangement when funds are scares than just eliminating the programs. When schools are forced to cut they should consider cutting a little in each subject all around from required, elective, and extracurricular activities rather than on just one set of programs. Students learn just as valuable lessons when participating in these extracurricular activities as they do with the normal school curriculum. If the benefits out way the disadvantages and it is improving and preparing our children for their future it would be a smarter idea to keep the programs.
Within a community is a sense of unity, which for many is brought together by the young athletes of the community. In his article “High School Sports Have Turned Into Big Business,” Mark Koba of CNBC highlights that within the last thirty to forty years high school football has escalated into a highly revered tradition in which not only communities, but highly successful corporations have begun to dedicate millions of dollars towards (Koba n. pg.). This highlights the status of sports within the community and may explain part of the reason schools would favor sports over other programs. Because sports programs can often turn over big profits for schools, they tend to dedicate most of their excess funds towards sports, and rely on sports programs to create large profits for the school. When school administrators see how much sports unite, excite, and benefit the school, they develop a respect for sports and consider it a necessity to provide a good sports program for their students and community. Also in his article, Koba quotes an interviewee named Mark Conrad who is the associate professor of legal and ethical studies at Fordham University 's school of...
I believe that in middle school, it is a necessity for kids to be involved in extracurricular sports to learn knew skills that they can apply on and off the field. Due to budget cuts, more and more schools have had to cut extracurricular sports. I know that I want sports to come back and so do many kids in middle school. Sports will benefit your health and many other aspects that help you become successful.
... Reestablishing community goals and encouraging youths to engage in extracurricular activities will greatly improve outlooks on life and help them make the right choices for a better tomorrow.
When schools make budget cuts, they usually take money from athletic programs and clubs. The author is essentially saying that schools have taken away funding from too many programs that it feels as if they will will even stop funding necessary programs in order to say money. This critique on budget cuts helps us see the problem within the public school system. Certain activities that are common in other schools will be seen as a luxury to students in other schools and therefor are not given the same opportunities. The underfunded schools have taken away money from many programs that they will now have to stop funding certain areas that are key to a student’s education.
Gutierrez, Kris D., Carolina Izquierdo, and Tamar Kremer-Sadlik. "Middle Class Working Families' Beliefs and Engagement in Children's Extra-Curricular Activities: The Social Organization of Children's Futures." The International Journal of Learning 17.3 (2010): 633-56. Web. 21 May 2014.
With society’s ever increasing price tag of education, public schools have gone to great lengths to cut costs from the unessential activities during and after school hours. First it was music programs and art classes; however, with the desperate need for teachers, athletic programs have felt the grunt of this expedition. Now, more than ever, youths in our communities are battling serious problems. Not only are sports and organized athletic programs vital to physical development, but also mental growth and offer children structure and goals. Unfortunately, many schools have to cut back or even eliminate sports/athletic programs due to lack of funding.
When there are less kids, there is a greater opportunity for kids to be involved. They can be in several sports, performing arts, or any group they desire. I was involved in volleyball, football managing, basketball, track, cheerleading, softball, choir, and student council. I was always busy with projects or practices “promotes an overall feeling of unity and social solidarity (Schaefer 2016:18). Activities and “sports serve as a safety value for other participants and spectators, who are allowed to shed tension and aggressive energy in a socially acceptable way” (Schaefer 2016:18). At big schools, not every kids has a chance to be involved and so they have to get their anger out some other way, which can lead to bad things. Since I have been involved in many activities and had ways to relieve my anger I do not need another way; therefore, I have not gotten into bad situations. I am satisfied that I haven’t missed out on an activity that I have wanted to do because of my school. Sadly, this does not happen in all schools. Many large schools do not give the students the same chances because there is more competition. At these schools, kids have to compete to be on an extracurricular team. They really have to specialize in the organization or else they do not have the opportunity to be a part of the activity. Many have to specialize in this extracurricular activity
Children now participate in an array of extra-curricular activities, spending their time outside of school away from home. Some parents may feel this is a way to spend time with their child, if they are involved in coaching or being a spectator. For other parents, the activity gives them some free time while their child participates. Children learn to work in groups or as part of a team, while learning from adults and peers alike. Parents may or may not have a part in this type of...
events” (Irish). The loss of extracurricular activities is just one of the many things that schools
McNeal, Ralph. “Extracurricular Activities and High School Dropouts.” Sociology of Education v68n1: Jan 1995, 62-80.
While most evidence in the literature proves that extra curricular activities improve academic performances, Solanco School District has no program supporting or promoting the link between the two. This study will examine the effects of participation in extra curricular activities on student academic performance at Solanco High School. Findings from this study could be examined by Solanco High School and similar school districts to support and promote programs of extra curricular activities at...
As Sarah Otto mentions in her text, in American schools there are many different extracurricular activities you can choose between, such as sports and math clubs. I would like to have that in my dream school as well. I think that the students would really appreciate doing something they really like at the end of the day after a day full of studies. An extracurricular activity would be good to relieve stress from the school
Two-thirds of children who participate in extracurricular activities are expected to attain at least a bachelor’s degree, whereas only half of children that do not participate do (National Center for Education Statistics, 1995). Childhood is a very important time in our lives, a time when we develop many vital skills that follow us into adulthood. Some people laugh or scoff at us parents that keep our children to busy schedules. Those same people would also argue that our children should be allowed to have a childhood, to not be so tightly scheduled in their daily lives. Before jumping on that bandwagon, I would suggest doing a little research. Participating in after-school activities has shown to benefit children in many ways. Children should
... Disa Cornish, Melvin Gonnerman, and Margaret Ralston. "Impact of Participation in High School Extracuricular Activities on Early Life Experiences: A Study of Iowa Graduates." University of Northern Iowa (2009): 36. Web. 10 Mar 2014.
Imagine walking across the stage in just a few years from now. Having thousands of eyes pointed at you as you take that emotional walk to finally receive your high school diploma. After a few years when you have graduated high school and started life, you're going to look back and think, what have I accomplished so far? Extracurricular activities can be very beneficial for students now, and those in the future as well. They can allow you to feel like you have accomplished something while in school. Extracurricular activities are important because they can benefit a student through personal, educational, and even social means. It is a great idea to get more students involved in extracurricular activities and parents should begin to give their kids a little push to get them more involved.