Boost Exam Skills with Extracurricular Activities

Exam season is a stressful time for everyone involved: teachers, parents and of course students.

In 2009 it was reported by several news sites that extracurricular activities had been found to boost exam results. The reports were based on a study which was carried out by the Independent Schools Council within 508 private schools.

The findings of the research were:

• The more extracurricular activities a school offers, the more likely pupils would find something that really interested them and they would benefit from.
• The correlation between extra curricular activities and higher exam results held true across the schools, it didn’t depend on schools being selective with pupils.
• In mixed gender schools boys seemed to benefit more from extracurricular activity however this could be because generally boys are more motivated by doing sports.
• Higher self esteem, lower levels of depression and lower drop-out rates were all positives.

Why exactly do pupils need extra curricular activities?

Personal and external expectations in the run-up to exam day and the increasing pressure to always have your nose in a revision book can be enough to overwhelm some youngsters to the point of burn-out.

During the exam period, although it is important to ensure effective revision is happening on a regular basis, it is also vital that children are making the best use of their downtime – eating healthily, getting enough sleep every night and taking enough time for relaxation.

Pursuing extracurricular activities during study leave can bring a wealth of benefits to students. Read on to find out about a whole host of extracurricular activities.

What can you offer?

Running extra curricular activities doesn’t mean you have to create a prize winning school football team or create a glee like performing arts club. Offer what your pupils are interested in, its easy enough to find out what that might be by creating simple questionnaires to send around classes or by simply doing verbal assessments.

As with everything, too many hours spent on extracurricular activities might do more harm than good. Finding a balance is key and some of the activity and group ideas below are great as a once a week club for exam stressed pupils.

Sports

Well known benefits of regular exercise:

• Endorphins- These are released when you exercise and are proven to reduce stress levels- exam stress busting goodness!
• The increased amount of oxygen circling around the blood is proved to enhance cognitive function.
• Improved self-confidence which elevates a person’s perception of themselves
• Relaxation- Studies have linked a higher level of exercise to better sleep which is crucial for a well rested mind.

Those are all great sounding great sounding facts but how do you know which sports would make good after school clubs?

Try and steer away from sports which pupils might be doing in PE classes during the day such as football and rounders. Think of unisex options that are great for a range of abilities, something that everyone can join in with and have fun doing!

Martial arts, yoga, dance and tennis are good options. If your school has a great after school sports club mention it in the comments below as a suggestion for other teachers.

Music

Learning to play a musical instrument as well as listening to music has been found to stimulate the brain and boost memory.

Some food for thought:

• Playing a musical instrument can boost your IQ by up to seven points.
• The parts of the brain that control motor skills and memory become more active when a person learns to play a musical instrument.
• Alertness, planning and discipline also improve.
• The ability to read other people’s emotions through the tone of their voice develops.

Taking some time out during revision to practice some music, then, is a great way for students to relax their eyes – away from screens which seem to have a strangle-hold on their attention spans lately – yet still give their brains a good workout.

It’s easy enough to borrow some easy to use instruments from the music department and create an after school group. You could try making all kinds of different music.

Drama and Performing Arts

Dance or drama clubs are great for bringing shy students out of their shells, giving them the confidence to express themselves freely.

• For exams, having self-belief makes revision and performing well on the day easier.
• Concentration skills are also improved with the learning of lines and stage directions, which of course will help students with their memory recall.
• Communication skills and the development of empathy, brought about by the nature of drama and ‘getting into character’ will help with subjects like English, where a degree of imagination and analysis is required to answer the questions well.
• Creativity can also be enhanced through the practice of drama and dance and of course, during exams, being able to view things from different perspectives and come up with new ideas can help students shine on comparison exam questions for a wide range of subjects.

Some after school club inspiration

If you have any suggestions or ideas on how extracurricular activities can motivate pupils and help with their exam preparations then please share your thoughts below.

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