Parents are always looking for ways to support their kids’ journeys in school without being overbearing or preventing them from having fun. On the one hand, childhood is to be enjoyed, and no parent wants their child to thrive in school only because they sacrificed playtime.
However, classroom success is also very important, and having fun outside class in ways that help kids get better grades is a real win. Let’s check out a few fun ways for kids to improve their grades outside of school.
Coding Class
Not only can kids get ahead with online coding classes, but they will have so much fun in the program that they’ll be counting down the days until their next class. The leading online coding classes put video games at the centre of what they do.
Kids learn to build their own video games, ones they can show off and play afterwards with friends and family. They also leverage gamification, harnessing the dynamics that make playing video games so engaging for learning purposes.
Kids as young as seven can start taking classes, even if they have no experience with coding or even computers. Look for a program that teaches in-demand coding languages like Python, Java, JavaScript, C#, and C++.
Many online coding courses sprouted up during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s better if you can find a program that has operated for a decade or two with their own proprietary curriculum and small classes.
Reading
Sometimes, reading a novel for school can feel like labour to kids. They can’t necessarily pick which books they read and can’t read at their own speed. Reading outside of school gives them a lot more freedom.
The last thing any parent wants is to discourage their kid from reading. Kids enjoy reading more when they can pick whatever book interests them and if they don’t need to finish chapters or do reports on a deadline. Even if young kids don’t read Anna Karenin, their reading comprehension will improve gradually the more books they take on. Their grades should also improve.
Chess
Chess has been played competitively for hundreds of years. It’s also a board game that novices can enjoy playing, whatever level they’re at. That helps explain the expression, “chess is an ocean in which a gnat may drink, or an elephant may bathe.”
At the highest levels, players can be attack or defence oriented. There are as many ways to play chess as there are personalities. It’s part art, part science. Mathematicians tend to see the game one way, while artists see it another.
Parents who want their children to learn STEM skills to think like engineers and those who want their kids grounded in art and culture should both encourage their kids to learn chess.
Giving kids help in school doesn’t need to be limited to the classroom material. Going the indirect route can be indirect and fun. Learning the core skills above should help kids get higher grades while arming them with the tools to live a richer inner life.
