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The youth movement beyond the three Rs Like many young girls, Sara Gentile loved to put on a show. Dressed in a princess outfit around age 5, she would often turn on the music and dance and sing in the living room for her family. Though her mother delighted in the performances, clapping and cheering her daughter on, little did she know that her theatrics were more than just an early childhood phase. Today, Sara, now 12, performs before a much larger audience. A quick learner and thoroughly gifted, the Rancho Santa Margarita resident landed the lead role of Pinocchio in her second play. Among other parts, she played Annie in “Annie Warbucks” and Tiger Lily in “Peter Pan.” Most recently, Sara, who is also on a competitive dance team, completed a four-day recital, where she performed in 20 numbers each show. “She gives it all she has,” says her mother, Mary Kaye. “You can tell that she is out there performing because that’s what she wants to do.” As with many youth, the depth of Sara’s talents and passion for dance and theater were discovered and nurtured through enrichment programs. Such programs not only allow children and teens to build upon their interests and strengths, but serve as an opportunity for them to explore new areas and improve upon those where they may have fallen behind. They also provide a positive way for children to spend their time during non-school hours. The whole child “When it’s a good fit, the benefits are substantial,” says Jim Shafer, a clinical psychologist in Irvine. Research shows, for example, that participation in organized programs boosts educational achievement. According to the Children’s Aid Society, students who participate in high quality, constructive programs have higher school attendance and improved performance on standardized tests. They also get better grades than their more passive peers. Similar benefits have been reported in the area of social skills, including the building of confidence, better peer relations and an improved ability to maintain self-control and avoid conflicts. The benefits go on and on, from the development of problem-solving skills to making good choices. The Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report, for instance, shows that secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances, including alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs. There is something to be said about the well-rounded child. Equally important is the sheer joy and solace these programs can bring to children. “I think it’s comforting and soothing for people to have something special that they enjoy doing,” says Sara’s mother, Mary Kaye. The proof of these benefits continuously surround us, from the little boy who improves his reading level by three grades after attending a tutoring program to the teen who sheds a second off his 100-meter time after working with a running coach. “American Idol” as an example On a more visible note, consider Lisa Tucker. The Anaheim teen, which recently placed in the Top 10 in the biggest TV hit in the nation, “American Idol,” got her start at Orange County Children’s Theater. Tucker is currently on a national tour with the show’s finalists. Her goal is to win an Emmy. And ponder for a moment what the Irvine Spectrum Center might look like today had Donald Bren, chairman of The Irvine Co., not been exposed to the art appreciation and architectural history electives he took during his K-12 education. The retail/entertainment center, visited by nearly 11 million people annually, was inspired by the world-famous Alhambra – the 13th century citadel that overlooks the city of Granada, Spain. Bren has long been inspired by Mediterranean-inspired architecture. Earlier this year, Bren, one of America’s richest men, announced a $20 million gift to the Irvine Unified School District to create a districtwide Excellence in Education Enrichment Fund. The 10-year gift, dedicated to fine arts, music and science programs for fourth- through sixth-graders in the district, will support more than 30 professionals in these areas who will serve as specialist teachers. “It is...important to create well-rounded students who grow into well-rounded adults with an appreciation of the world around them. I call that true enrichment,” Bren said in a statement. “So it has dismayed me to watch as so many enrichment programs have taken a back seat in our classrooms over the years.” Enrichment programs at risk The donation comes at a time when school budgets are tight and the No Child Left Behind Act takes priority. Enrichment-type programs have been dropped or curtailed by many, many schools. A report from the California Basic Educational Data System, for example, shows how severe some of the cuts have been. During the five-year period from the 1999-2000 academic school year through the 2003-2004 academic school year: • The percentage of all California public school students involved in music education courses declined by 50%, representing the largest decline of any academic area subject. • Actual student participation in music declined by 46.%, representing a loss 512,366 students. • The number of music teachers declined by 26.7% or 1,053 teachers. • Participation in general music courses, those programs designed to bring basic music knowledge and skills to young students, declined by 85.8%. While schools may be experiencing some declines in enrichment-type courses, there are hundreds of programs for families to choose from within their community. The challenge is finding the time after school and the costs, which can be quite high. However, nonprofit groups and businesses bring a diverse selection to help expand the minds and abilities of young children, from programming that teaches martial arts and horse jumping to those that help to unearth the mysteries of science to ones that allow youth to experience what life was like during an earlier era. Like the benefits, the offerings go on and on. As for Sara, she wants to keep on dancing and singing, ultimately on Broadway. Already she has won the support and confidence of her classmates and teacher. She recently received the Kid of Character Award at her sixth-grade graduation. The award recognizes a student of outstanding character who is expected to go a long way in life.m Finding the right Program The success of your child’s experience depends in large part on finding the right program. Ballet, violin, technology, surfing, tennis, math – there are many programs from which to choose. Jim Shafer, a clinical psychologist in Irvine, offers these tips to help find a good match for your child. 1. First, what are your child’s strengths, areas of difficulty and interests? Then consider where they stand, developmentally. It’s important to try and match the two areas, he says. Younger children, for example, can learn a foreign language easier than an older child, and a 3-year-old who loves baseball isn’t likely to have the motor skills to throw a runner out at base. 2. Pick a program that offers some challenge, but not too much. “If a program is too hard, it can actually take the child backwards,” says Shafer. On the other hand, “if it’s so simple for them, it’s worthless and they don’t gain anything out of it.” 3. If your child is resistant to a particular area, find out why. “Often we project a lot of fears and negativity into something that just isn’t true.” A child may, for example, not want to take swimming lessons because a friend’s sister didn’t like it. Explore why the child is resistant – it may be something she ends up loving and really excels at. 4. Get feedback and referrals from other parents, children and professionals, such as your child’s teacher or doctor. 5. Visit the program while it is in progress. Pay special attention to the individual who leads it. “Some of the coaches or the administrators of these programs are so good and so kind and supportive to the kids that it almost doesn’t even matter about the topic,” says Shafer. “And it could be the same program with somebody else who’s not quite as in tune with the kids and have a totally different outcome. So it really is on an individual basis.” 6. Once your child is enrolled in a program, watch for signals. “If the child is coming out of the session, like in piano, and he or she is crying, that’s a problem,” says Shafer. At the same time, though, he reminds parents that kids can be manipulative. 7. Give your child some time to become familiar with a program. “Any novel or new thing has some degree of angst or fear or resistance to it,” he says. “So a child may initially be somewhat resistant to participate in something because they don’t know the people, they don’t know what challenges they will be put under and how it’s going to all go.” |
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