Developmental After School Programs

As a infant grows in to an adult, different aspects of his physical,
emotional and mental self needs development. To help a infant reach his
full potential, it is necessary to recognize the kid's developmental
needs and abilities. To be effective, after school programs ought to assist
children with tasks they must accomplish in the work of each stage of development.

A kid's growth curve can be divided in to main parts:
one) Young infant (ages 3-5)
two) Middle school (ages 6-8)
three) Older school (ages 9-12)

The important domains of development are: The Physical Domain, the
Social Domain, the Emotional Domain and the Intellectual Domain. Each of
these domains needs to be separately addressed in the work of the various phases
of a kid's growth. After school programs ought to concentrate on
developing each domain as applicable to the age of the infant. Although the
children participating in these programs may have similar developmental
needs and age, do not expect development to be uniform. Children will
create as and when they are prepared.

Physical Domain:
When children are young, they need to ideal skills that they have
learnt to control. A variety of movements such as leaping, catching and
throwing delight them. The middle school infant, on the other hand, wishes
to learn more complex skills and get involved in team sports. This is also
the best time to learn about rules and discipline in sport. The older
school infant is prepared for more adult-like activities that need greater
structure and discipline, like dancing, gymnastics, music classes etc.

Social Domain:
Young children are observing others and will have an interest in games where
they play the roles of relatives members. They create short-term friendships
and need an adult's presence to assure them. The middle school infant is
intrigued by society and will love journeys to factories, public buildings
etc. They need to know the 'how' and 'why' of things. The older school
infant is prepared to learn about different cultures, food and customs. They
need to do some amount of social work .

Intellectual Domain:
Young school children will practice what they are learning. Middle school
children need to learn more skills and will show interest in reading,
drama and issue solving. The older school children are prepared to research
and probe. They enjoy getting a puzzle and pondering over it.

Any after school program needs to address the interests of the infant depending
on the section they belongs to. Knowing the children in your program and
appreciating their needs and interests will help staff to plan and
structure programs that are most useful to that group.