Extra-curricular Activities
Dear Principal,
How much activity outside of school is appropriate for a child? My son is already on two school teams and now wants to be in the school play.
Mrs. Peterson
Dear Mrs. Peterson,
There is no one answer for every child. The determining factors are how well the child is doing in school and what the child would be doing if he weren't involved in other activities. Do extra-curricular activities take away from homework time or from television time.
Generally there is a positive correlation between extra-curricular participation and academic achievement. Students who are more involved in school perform better in all aspect of it. School is also about more than just getting good grades. Extra-curricular activities teach children valuable life skills and help produce well developed people.
Extra-curricular activities can also be used to motivate students to achieve better academically. Their participation may be conditional on achieving a certain academic standing.
If there are lingering doubts you could try speaking to his coach or drama teacher. They could re-enforce the message that class work comes first and that participation is contingent upon continuing good grades.
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