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School-Age Care Schedules
Effective school-age programs offer young people established
routines and schedules that are always subject to flexibility. When they
are not in school, young people need time to choose their own activities,
to relax, and to explore their interests, but they also need a sense
of structure. Effective schedules often include blocks of time where
youth can drift from one activity station to another at their own pace.
Schedules can also include set times when the whole group meets together,
eats snacks, or participates in outdoor recreation. While your schedule
can be flexible, it is important to have an established routine and schedule
that everyone understands. Offering activities regularly on a certain
day of the week can give young people something to look forward to. Post
a schedule where parents, staff and children can all see it and refer
to it.
Transition Time in After School Programs
As young people finish school for the day, they have different wants
and needs. Some would like to relax and socialize for a while before
they start structured activities. Some are hungry and need a snack.
Some really need a chance to run around and engage in physical play.
Some need quiet time to read, listen to music, talk quietly with
a friend or just be left alone.
Most young people are inclined towards one of these types of activities
as a way to wind
down their school day and prepare for after school activities. Depending
on space, staffing
restraints, and other issues, many programs are able to offer all four
of these activities to
youth as they come into the program after school. Different areas and
different staff people
or volunteers can be assigned to oversee each of these types of activities.
Ideally, when they arrive at the program, young people should have choices
about what they would like to do for a specified period of transition
time (fifteen to twenty minutes works well for many programs.) After
this transition time, they will be more prepared to participate in the
regular components and activities of the program.
General Scheduling Tips
After determining how you’d like to handle transition time, think
about the best way to
incorporate the desired components into the time allotted to your program.
There is no one "ideal” daily or weekly schedule
for a school-age program. Every group of young
people has different needs, so the schedule of every effective program
will likely be different. The following ideas will help you think about
how to create a schedule that will meet the unique needs of your program.
- Snack: Ideally, food should be available throughout
the afternoon so that young people
can eat when they are hungry rather than at a set time. If certain
constraints make it necessary to have a set snack time, find out when young people
have lunch. If their
lunchtime is early in the day, have snack towards the beginning
of the afternoon. If it’s late
in the day, have it more towards the middle of the afternoon.
- Homework and Academic Skill-Building: If you set
aside time for homework or tutoring,
have activities and games that build academic skills available
for those with no homework. Be sure that adults are on hand
to help with
homework.
Don’t schedule activities in such a way that young people
have to choose between doing homework and participating in another
really
exciting activity going on at the same time. Many programs find
it effective to set aside a period of time when children have
a choice between homework
and quiet reading. Other programs find it effective to create
a homework area and encourage young people to visit this area
at some point during
the afternoon.
- Stations: Offer young people regular opportunities
to choose between a variety of activity
stations during certain blocks of time. Have enough different
stations so that there are a
manageable number of young people at each station. Allow
young people to move from one station to another at their
own pace. Stations could offer reading, homework help,
crafts, computer, writing, art, board games, etc. Rotate
interest areas regularly to respond to children’s changing skills
and interests.
- Outdoor Activities: Children have the option to
go outdoors to get large muscle exercise, such as on playground equipment,
ball games,
sand play, water play, gardening, woodworking, science and nature activities.
- Clubs: Clubs meet regularly (once a week or more).
Youth choose to be a member of a club for a certain period of
time. Clubs can be
based on interests and talents of staff, volunteers, and young
people and could include:
- Art, Music, Drama, Dance
- Computers
- Science, Math
- Languages, Geography
- Cooking, Sewing
- Community Service
- Story Time: Children relax and listen to
staff read a book or chapter of a book
- Reading Time: Children
choose a book or bring a book and everyone participates
in quiet reading for a certain period of time
- Field Trips: Children plan and participate in simple
neighborhood field trips as
well as more elaborate field trips requiring
special transportation, planning and
chaperones. Examples of field trip destinations:
children’s
museum, art museum,
parks, zoo, food pantry, nursing home, hospital,
government buildings, historical
sites, local library, TV or radio stations.
- Service-Learning Projects: Children plan and participate
in community service on
a regular basis
- Late-Afternoon Activities: If family members
come to pick children up at the end of the
day, they often show up before the official
end of your program day. By offering low-key
activities like board games or arts and crafts
at the end of the afternoon, children will
not
have to leave in the middle of an organized
activity.
SAMPLE SCHEDULE
Before School |
| Arrival |
Quiet activities are available for kids to choose from |
| Breakfast |
Children eat as they arrive and return to quiet activities. |
| Activity |
Children may participate in calm activities that are short-term
in nature, or with a group activity such as passive or guessing
games, stories, stretching, etc. |
| Cleanup |
Children put away activities and gather belongings for school. |
| School |
One staff member can play quick games, tell jokes or lead
songs as children wait for buses. |
After School |
| Arrrival and Transition |
Attendance, put belongings away, self-serve snack, use the
bathroom, wash hands, etc. |
| Group Time |
Plans for day, activity options, announcements, discussion
of rules, problem-solving, news, etc. |
| Activities |
Children select from options such as interest areas, clubs,
community service, homework, outdoor activities,
games, quiet activities, etc. |
| Clean up |
Clean up messy projects and interest areas. Gather belongings. |
| Departure |
Let children continue to play in quiet area, board and table
games, and coordinate a large group activity – music,
guessing games, dramatic play. Have staff member greet parents
and help them connect with children. |
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