The right enrichment programs can provide your child with long-term benefits. Learn more about what they are and how to choose the right ones.

Other than sending your child to the right school, enrichment programs are important as they help to enhance your child’s skills and abilities. There are many different types of enrichment programs available for kids, and it’s essential that you choose the right one that fits your little one’s personality and developmental stage. An enrichment class that is well structured with an excellent curriculum will promote healthy child development through social, physical, emotional and cognitive growth experiences.

“School-age children between the ages of 5 and 14 spend up to 80% of their time out of school. These hours represent an opportunity to help children grow and acquire important social, emotional, cognitive, and physical skills and to help them develop lifelong interests,” says Lillian Coltin from the Educational Resource Information Center (U.S. Department of Education). “This time can also be used to provide support for the academic challenges faced by children each day in school.”

According to The National School-Age Care Alliance (NSACA) Quality Standards, the best practices in out-of-school time programs are those from which “children [should] have a chance to join enrichment activities that can promote basic skills and higher-level thinking.” Some examples of enrichment activities include group work on science projects, math games, and the study of plants and animals, and opportunities to create a newspaper, write a play, tackle homework, use computers, or participate in special interest groups or clubs. High-quality programs also provide time and space for children to become involved in long-term projects and productions (Roman, 1998).

Types of Enrichment Programs

Generally, there are two broad categories of enrichment programs – extracurricular and academic enrichment, according to the Education Resources Information Center.

In terms of extracurricular enrichment, emphasis is given to a child’s skill sets that are usually not fully used in school. The Education Resources Information Center explains further: “The theory of multiple intelligences developed by Gardner (1993) broadens our view of how humans learn and realize their potential. Classroom instruction focuses chiefly on logical/mathematical intelligences. By tapping into the underutilized intelligences, such as musical intelligence, extracurricular activities can encourage the development of skills and interests not fully nurtured during the school day.” Additionally, extracurricular activities appear to provide leadership and social skills development. These skills have been shown to lead to greater self-esteem and higher aspirations in both current academic situations and in the pursuit of long-term careers (Carns et al., 1995).

In Malaysia, parents place particularly high value on their children’s academic performance. Here’s where academic enrichment programs play an important role. However, parents should choose a program that goes beyond providing homework help; it should also provide developmentally appropriate lessons and activities in reading, writing, and math. If it’s a program for preschool kids, look for those that offer an engaging comprehensive program that combines learning with play.

Choosing the Right Enrichment Program

With so many programs out there, how do you choose one that benefits your child? First of all, make sure the program is age-appropriate. These days enrichment programs start early – for instance, many math programs take in children as young as two and a half years old, while music and martial arts lessons are available to three-year-olds. As parents, we often feel the need to give our kids an edge by starting activities at a young age. Research has indeed shown that the younger a child is exposed to learning and discovery, the more they’re set up for success in later years. But it’s worth reminding ourselves that our kids are still kids – so always choose something that works with where your child is developmentally.

“Choose activities that are developmentally appropriate and interesting to the child,” Erin Mills, Director of Early Childhood education at the JCC, says. “Forced engagement in an activity at too young an age can be stressful for the child. Activities that are stimulating and fun engage children and support natural learning in a positive environment. By engaging children in developmentally appropriate creative exploration, children gain confidence in their own ideas and independent thinking.”

When it comes to enrichment programs for young children, don’t overschedule or get them enrolled into too many activities at once. In their book, “The Overscheduled Child: Avoiding the Hyper-Parenting Trap”, authors Nicole Wise and Dr. Alvin Rosenfeld warn that over-scheduling activities has contributed to family stress and lower self-esteem among kids. When children are constantly ferried from one activity to another, pressed to practice or rehearse, they feel they must perform well at all times. The authors argue that parents and kids need down-time together instead of engaging in frequent self-improvement pursuits.

This said, select programs that your child enjoys. Keep the activities fun, take the pressure out of performing well, and let the activities be a space for exploration. Keeping the fun element is important to ensure that preschoolers don’t lose interest in the pursuit. According to a recent study, a child’s perceptions of a specific area or topic in the future are determined by the positive or negative memories forged now.

In this context, this means that the more your child enjoys something, the more likely he is inclined to pursue that activity in the future. If your child is not enjoying the program and repeatedly complains or dreads going to class, there is a good chance that she is not in the right program for her. So always check in to see how your child is doing and whether she is enjoying the program.

Other than the fun factor, the enrichment program must be suitable for your child. More importantly, it must work well with your child’s character. For example, sending an introverted child into a highly extroverted program so as to “force them out of their shells” might do more harm than good if the instructor or coaches fail to identify the nature and varying needs of each individual child.

Additionally, it is important to find a program that balances the challenges the program offers with your child’s ability to keep up with it so that your child is able to develop in the right path. Choose a program that will work with your child’s strengths and weaknesses to ensure that the instruction is exactly what he needs. This will give the greatest results and help increase your child’s confidence. Here’s where you need to consider the approach and flow of the program. As some are highly structured and drill-based, while others are fun and engaging, always opt for a program that has a format which will encourage your child to participate. Your ultimate goal is to find a program with a layout and structure that is engaging and encourages your child to participate in the program.

Also, it’s important to do a background check on the teachers and instructors, especially if it’s an academically-driven program. For example, if you are going to invest in a math enrichment program, make sure that the program is backed by the skills of certified math instructors. Because the investment can be significant, you want to know that your child receives quality instruction from educators who know what they are doing.

DID YOU KNOW?

Preschool enrichment programs present benefits for parents, too. Not only do they give adults some time for themselves, but the programs also offer interaction with other parents and the chance to see how other families interrelate with their children – a great way to pick up new parenting techniques.

SMART TIP!

Many enrichment classes offer you the option to attend a trial class with your child. Don’t miss the opportunity! This is especially helpful when it comes to franchise-based classes, since the trial will allow you to test out which branch best meets your needs.

To ensure that your child is getting the most out of their enrichment programs, try to join them every now and then so that you can learn new ways to interact with your child and know their world.

REMINDER…

You would also need to consider how much time you have to commit to these enrichment programs. Remember there are only 24 hours in a day – take into account your family’s schedule and see how you can work around that.