Afterschool Program

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Several decades of research clearly demonstrates that high-quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood programs produce short- and long-term positive effects on children's cognitive and social development (NAEYC, 1926).

Incidentally, Brightwoods School (1995) is one of those institutions in Angeles City that intends to offer the same premise in terms of quality and excellence in the line of early childhood education. To date, it is has a total population of 814; 170 students belong in preschool. Sixty-eight (68) of which, are in the prep level.

Basically, the families who send their children to Brightwoods School are those who greatly invest on giving the best kind of education around, thus honing them to their fullest, may it be academically, physically, or socially. With this, parents can financially support other educational programs they can possibly provide their children aside from their formal education they get in Brightwoods School.

True enough, according to Harvard Family Research Project, participation of children in after-school programs influence their academic performance in a number of ways, which includes better attitudes toward school and higher educational aspirations; higher school attendance rates and lower tardiness rates. This is what most parents ideally would want their children to attain--- to achieve better and even advance their academic performance. In addition, a growing body of research has found that students’ participation in afterschool programs is beneficial to academic achievement and social adjustment (Pierce, Hamm, & Vandell, 1999; Posner & Vandell, 1994).

Research has also discovered that higher rates of participation in after-school programs can contribute to higher scores on academic standardized tests in mathematics, reading, and language arts (Huang, Gribbons, Kim, Lee, & Baker, 2000; Huang, Leon, La Torre, & Mostafari, 2008).

Dr. Greg...