It is said to be that experience is the best teacher. That when we say experience it is not the academic level of a certain student within a classroom but indeed it is the activities or skills that a certain student performs outside the classroom. These activities or skills are also known as extracurricular activities.
Extracurricular activities refer to the educational activities not falling within the scope of the regular curriculum. It is sponsored by and usually held at school but not a part of academic curriculum. They often involve some time commitment outside of the regular school day. Students who partake in extracurricular activities usually benefit from many opportunities. Benefits of participating in extracurricular activities include having better grades, having higher standardized test scores, having higher self – concept and so on. In addition, participants in out of school activities often learned skills such as teamwork and leadership.
It seems that there is a common belief that when a student participates in extracurricular activities, there will be a great impact to his academic achievement within a class. Research shows that there is a direct correlation between participation in an extracurricular activity and high academic achievement. Students can take the principles of a structured extracurricular activity and use them to have a better approach on studying. Teachers also notice that there is a higher point grade average for those students who participate in these kinds of activities. These develop students’ social skills, alternative resources and challenges. This can positively influence the concentration levels and allow students to focus on studying.
Studies show that students who participate in one or more after school activities are less prone to negative peer pressure and have higher self-confidence. It can also improve students’ academic performance; discover talents, abilities and interests; and develop social skills. It can also develop camaraderie within a social group.
In our time, many students were engage in different extracurricular activities. For many students, it presents an opportunity to practice social skills and to experiment in activities that may represent a career interest. For a student who is not academically gifted, the opportunity to excel in the arts or sports can create a big difference in his/her self- esteem.
In our country, elementary students often enrolled in classes or activities. These activities include dance, swimming, T – ball, soccer, and gymnastics. Children at this age can benefit from these activities, but the number of activities should be limited. Parents or other primary caregivers should consider how much time their children spend on these activities and the impact they have. Before enrolling children in activities outside the home and the school, they should first attend the meeting to make sure it is appropriate for the child’s interests and capabilities. A schedule that is too demanding can be stressful on a child and can lead to behavioral problems. The young children who feel stressed due to many extracurricular activities are more prone to illness.
Having these benefits of extracurricular, can we say that is it more important that the academics or not?
By: Elvira C. De Guia | Teacher II | Limay Elementary School | Limay, Bataan
