I would like to sign my child up for after-school English classes but I am not convinced how well a child can learn after a long and full academic school day. What do you think?

Helen answers:

Factors to Consider

There are many factors to consider when a parent is trying to evaluate the optimal number of extracurricular learning activities that is ideal for their child.   Every family has their own personal beliefs about the amount of time that they will devote to their children’s supplementary activities after school. While all parents want the very best for their child, every family has a different idea as to what the optimal balance between in-school and after-school activities.  Each child has his own comfort zone and capacity for learning. So, how do you strike the balance between giving your child the right opportunities and overloading him?  Will he be able to learn?

Of course a child can learn after a long and busy school day, but contributing factors to consider are the age of the child; the local culture and the expected norms within the local country. In certain areas, parents don’t hesitate to sign up their child for programmes, even if the children have had a very long day.

Making Learning Fun

A very full day doesn’t automatically mean that the child is doing “too much.”  Even a tired child when he’s doing something that’s really fun will wake up and have a good time after a long day. Hopefully, children aren’t exhausted or sick because that would really be an unhealthy choice, but if the child is in a reasonable state, then yes, afterschool programmes can provide an ideal opportunity to get children excited about learning, pursuing their own interests, and it helps them develop self-confidence as they explore new talents in areas that may not be a part of their school curriculum. Make sure the activities are fun and engaging, no matter what they are designed to teach. After a long day at school children will be best able to absorb the content of a lesson if it looks more like play and less like a traditional classroom lesson. A well designed English programme, built on a solid methodology is an optimal choice.

What’s the Secret?

In my experience with Helen Doron English, we have had tremendous success teaching two million children English worldwide using a unique, exciting method which includes learning through fun, games and music. Taught by specially trained teachers that provide lots of positive reinforcement, the children enjoy learning and they feel good about themselves as they learn. What can be better than that?

Find a location near you and sign up for a free demo lesson: www.helendoron.com