It is no secret that ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!’ So, what are you doing to make your child shine? Think, think, we will wait.
Two-thirds of Indian students bid adieu to extracurricular activities to take tuitions for their core subjects after school. But, extracurricular activities in today’s day and age are as important as the grades on your child’s report card, in fact, more.
From Ivy League colleges to established universities in India, a child’s overall personality plays a crucial role in securing a college seat. Not just for university placement, extracurricular activities are fodder for the overall development of your Jack.
In a focused study by a College Board, it was inferred that participation in extracurricular activities surged SAT Math scores by 45 points and SAT verbal scores by 53 points.
Extracurricular activities also boost up your college profile and increase your chance of getting into the college of your dreams.
Check the strength of your current profile and assess your chances of getting into a top university or college.
It is extremely important for children to take up an extracurricular activity to stay fit and flourish in the future. Get rid of those smart devices and get them moving to lead a healthy and nourishing life.
Choosing The Right Extracurricular Activity Makes All The Difference!
Imagine if Sachin Tendulkar wasn’t given a cricket kit and was sent for Carnatic music classes?
Imagine if Sania Mirza was handed a paintbrush instead of a tennis racquet?
Choosing the right extracurricular activity may not sound as important as front-page news to you. But, it definitely is! It is absolutely crucial that you choose the right extracurricular activity for your children so that they unleash their full potential.
Pondering on how to choose the right extracurricular activity? Don’t worry, we have assembled a step-by-step method of choosing the right extra-curricular activity for your little one.
Watch your child: As simple as it sounds, this first step answers most of your questions on choosing the right extracurricular activity for your child. Go on and be a watchman for your little one!
What kind of play activity does your child prefer? Do they learn better by watching a rhyme or when you sing along the rhyme with them? Which of their senses are most receptive? Watch, watch, and keep watching until you understand your munchkin. Then, using the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, you can understand your little one’s leaning.
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Brainstorm with them
Nothing works better than an open conversation! Talk to your child and ask them to speak about their interests, dreams, passion, and goals in life. At the end of the conversation, give them a piece of paper and ask them to jot down the extracurricular activities they have an extra interest in.
These extracurricular activities might not necessarily match all the observations you made while watching. But, don’t panic! That’s where the next step comes to your rescue.
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Match
This step of finding the right extracurricular activity is similar to a simple problem in Sets & Statements. Jot down your observations on one side and your child’s interests on the other side. And voila! Find the right extracurricular activity from the subset of the two.
If your tiny human is adamant on pursuing an activity that doesn’t fall in the subset, then don’t resist too much. You never know the things they can learn and ace, by doing it practically.
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Research
Research comes after you match your observations with your child’s interest so that there is no bias. Google or go out there and find out where the extracurricular activities are offered, their timings, fees, scope it offers in your child’s profile building.
It is essential that you turn into a Ph.D. student, who is researching to write their thesis on extracurricular activities. After thorough research comes to the next step!
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Take action
Once you and your child zero in on the activity that they want to pursue, take action. Start off by enrolling them in the extracurricular activity class.
Wait patiently to see how they are doing in class, do not frown if you don’t see results in the first trial. Go onto the next step to change things up. If your children open their wings and fly high in the first extracurricular activity, then your chosen activity clicked!
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Measure the impact
After giving your little one a fair amount of time, try and gauge the impact the extracurricular activity is having on their daily patterns. There are no specific parameters to measure this impact.
It could be from the smallest of things like their posture to them becoming more open and expressive about their feelings, based on the activity they have taken up. If you see that the activity is not having any impact whatsoever on your child, then optimize and switch over to see what else they are interested in.
However, it is extremely essential to give it time before jumping to conclusions. Quick Fact:
According to Univariety’s parent survey answered by over 10,000 parents, 40% of parents are concerned about their kid’s lack of clarity.
The above process to choose the right extracurricular activity for your child helps in reducing the lack of clarity that parents are concerned about.
Go on and have an extra conversation about extracurricular activities with your child now! CLICK HERE
Sneha Mashetty
Sneha Mashetty is a former journalist who covered state politics. With a degree in Journalism & Masters in Electronic Media, she combines her research techniques, versatility in writing for the web, and love for education at Univariety. She has written extensively for International schools, Ed-Tech products, emerging learning technologies for half a decade. An avid reader, a travel lover & a movie buff who loves to have meaningful conversations
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Sneha Mashettyhttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/sneha-mashetty/
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Sneha Mashettyhttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/sneha-mashetty/
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Sneha Mashettyhttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/sneha-mashetty/
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Sneha Mashettyhttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/sneha-mashetty/
2 Comments
Interesting and informative
Hi arshdeep
Thank you for your lovely response. It keeps us motivated to do better. You can also check out our website for more info on India’s Best Career Guidance System