After School Programs

This resource gives teachers and supervisors in extended day programs a store of high-quality yet easy-to-do activities that are both challenging and relaxing for children. The 200 activities included are so clearly presented that many students can complete them independently. Includes crafts, songs, rainy day activities, and more.

"Subject Areas/Keywords: academic enrichment programs, academic skills, after school activities, after school programs, children, elementary schools, exercise, games, health promotion, high poverty schools, interventions, kinesiology, literacy, mathematics, obesity prevention, physical education, physical fitness, public health, reading, social studies, struggling learners, students DESCRIPTION Every school day, more than 10 million children attend after

Does your afterschool program have the WOW factor? Create a high quality school-age program that is exciting, inviting, and reflects the interests, abilities, and needs of the children. Whether your program operates before or after school, on non-school days, during the summer, or overnight, you can create a dynamic environment where everyone will enjoy spending time. This book is filled with hundreds of ideas—from setting up a quiet reading nook to tackling clutter—reflecting the authors’ years of experience and hundreds of visits to a variety of school-age programs. It takes you through all of the considerations that affect your program and then lays out a process to help you improve the three dimensions of a school-age environment. Temporal: Establish schedules, routines, rules, and learning opportunities to meet children’s needs Interpersonal: Facilitate the relationships and social interactions of children, staff, families, and the greater community Physical: Create sensory-rich indoor and outdoor spaces Linda J. Armstrong and Christine A. Schmidt are experienced educational consultants who serve children and youth programs throughout the United States.

This book addresses the challenges of designing effective afterschool activities, provides quality program models from experts in the field, and aligns learning standards with youth development principles.

This exciting first-of-its-kind book helps after-school staff members support literacy development while staying faithful to the unique mission of being something other than "more school." The authors explain the role of after-school programs in literacy development and define aspects of literacy development. The book contains 72 fun and engaging activities for all levels of school-age readers.

Through a comprehensive review of various afterschool programs across the United States, this resource provides a practical overview of the research and best practices that can be easily adapted and applied in the development of highly effective afterschool programs. chapters focus on: (1) "Why Afterschool Programs?" (benefits, challenges, and functions, research methodology, types of programs, and program evaluation); (2) "Language Arts Afterschool Programs" (e.g., extended-day tutoring and the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program); (3) "Enrichment Afterschool Programs" (e.g., Hands On Science Outreach and the Imaginitis Learning System); (4) "Tutoring Programs to Improve Reading and Study Skills Programs" (e.g., Book Buddies and Early Identification Programs); (5) "Community-Based Afterschool Programs" (e.g., Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Police Athletic League); (6) "How to Create an Afterschool Program: From Conception to Implementation" (e.g., assessing the situation, creating the components, and training the service providers); (7) "Evaluation" (e.g., why evaluation is important, effective evaluations, and creating a solid evaluation infrastructure); and (8) "Conclusions and Implications: What Works" (patterns of success among the programs and barriers to participation). A list of resources is included. (Contains 143 references.) (SM)

This report summarizes the presentations and discussion at a workshop entitled Opportunities to Promote Child and Adolescent Development During the After-School Hours, convened on October 21, 1999. The workshop was organized by the Board on Children, Youth, and Families and its Forum on Adolescence of the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, with funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. This workshop brought together policy makers, researchers, and practitioners to examine research on the developmental needs of children and adolescentsâ€"ages 5 to 14 yearsâ€"and the types of after-school programs designed to promote the health and development of these young people. Intended to provide a forum for discussion among the various stakeholders, the workshop did not generate conclusions about the types of programs that are most effective, nor did it generate specific recommendations about after-school programs or promote a particular approach. The workshop coincided with release of the Packard Foundation's fall 1999 issue of The Future of Children, entitled "When School Is Out." Focusing on after-school programs, the journal provided some context for the workshop, providing a backdrop for discussing the importance of after-school programs, the types of programs that exist across the country, and the policy climate that surrounds after-school programs. This report summarizes the workshop.

After-school programs are becoming an important developmental support for low and moderate-income children. This book describes the historical development, current status, and critical issues facing these programs. Divided into historical eras for easy reference, the text examines: - The evolution of after-school programs and their role in the lives of children, providing a framework for reflecting on broader, contemporary issues such as the effects of poverty on children in the United States.- The rationales for and objectives of these programs and how both were shaped by prevailing societal ideas about children.- Patterns of sponsorship and staffing, describing daily routines and exploring the nature of children's experiences in different kinds of programs.- The relationship between after-school programs and schools, analyzing how these programs have responded to the dilemma of balancing children's needs for guidance and supervision with their equally important need for spontaneity and self-expression.- Current directions and expectations for the future of after-school programs.