Too many activities is just as bad as too much TV for pupils

By Evelyn Ring

Friday, January 27, 2012

Children involved in too many after-school activities perform nearly as badly at maths and reading as those spending too much time watching television, a study reveals.

"What children do outside school affects how they do in school," said Dr Selina McCoy, co-author of a new report that focuses on the way in which children learn.

The study found the lowest levels of educational achievement among children who rarely used computers and spend their spare time with friends or watching television.

It also found involvement in too many structured activities cancels out some educational benefits. They had a slight performance advantage in maths, but not in reading.

The best school performers were those who were involved in cultural activities such as music and drama lessons and reading for pleasure.

The findings from the Growing Up in Ireland study are based on data from interviews carried out with more than 8,500 nine year olds and their parents.

Dr McCoy, a senior research officer with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), said the study highlighted the need for children to have access to computers.

"Certainly, the children who are getting more opportunities to use computers in school are using them more outside school as well, so it has a positive effect on learning" she said.

The study found that the vast majority of children had access to a computer — just 5% did not have any access.

Dr McCoy said that, while literacy skills were generally developed at school, they could be reinforced by reading after school, either with parents or independently.

The study found that children who read with their parents tended to spend more time reading for pleasure.

Just over three-quarters (76%) of those who read with their parents read for fun a few times a week, compared to 67% of those who did not read with their parents.
"Parents need to know that reading, using computers and trying out different activities all enhance their child’s development," she said.

The report also found clear gender differences in children’s recreation.

Girls were more likely to be involved in cultural activities and use social media to keep in touch with friends whereas boys were more involved in playing sports and computer games.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Friday, January 27, 2012