How Many Students Work Best in an After-School Program? Are Small Groups Better than Large After-School Programs? What Ages? The 2010-2011 Group Report

Abstract

Community-based after-school programs have spread widely, but with varying results. No longer devoted primarily to child care or recreation, many of these programs address children’s academic, social, and interpersonal needs. Prior research has established a relationship among academic skills, particularly reading, and mental health. Children who learn to read can function more effectively in school and develop a stronger sense of self-efficacy. Prevention groups can aid this process by using group process to develop cohesive groups in which children can improve their reading skills. The Reading Orienteering Club employed group process to address children’s needs to belong to a positive group, to learn to practice prosocial skills, and to improve reading ability by using the intrinsic rewards of reading. Positive group process to facilitate skill building was fundamental to the program’s design. Participants in the program, who consisted mostly of students at-risk for academic failure, demonstrated significant improvement in their reading skills during the academic year.