Now What Do I Do with Them?

Susan Young

The bell rings. Students whoop with joy. For some who remain for after-school care, the hours can be boring. With some forethought and preparation, however, a good after-school care program can make the hours productive and fun.

Effective programs and activities should be well supervised but relatively unstructured. After a day in school, children need the freedom to choose activities, much as they would at home.

Consistency is the key. Supervisors should know the school's rules and the disciplinary measures that can be taken. They should be firm, fair, and friendly to all the students.

The activities will depend on the number of students, the facilities available, and the number of supervisors. If possible, have a room for those who want to complete their homework. When the school library is open, students can check out books or serve as library aides. Students may also be used as teachers' aides and make photocopies, prepare bulletin boards, do simple paper grading, or clean chalkboards and erasers.

In the main room, provide board games, puzzles, and basic art supplies. Where the facilities are adequate, include foursquare, hopscotch, jump rope, and table tennis. Balls for shooting baskets or playing catch can be used outdoors as long as there is a supervisor.

After-school classes in music, art, writing, or computers may be held one or two afternoons a week and kept small to provide for individual attention. Interest groups, such as a chess club or baseball-card-collectors club, may be organized for a period of time and then reorganized, if popular.

Students are often hungry and thirsty at the end of the day. A small snack shop where they can purchase candy, snacks, and drinks might be provided. For younger students, if the group is small, a snack of Kool-Aid and cookies may ward off irritability.

After-school care has become increasingly necessary. It is often difficult to manage, but with careful planning the programs will be the reason students cheer when school is out.

Reprinted from Teacher to Teacher, October 1997.

Used with permission from BJU Press. For permission to reproduce this article, please write BJU Press.