All Work and All Play: Participation in Leisure Activities in Academically Focused Afterschool Programming Is Linked to Better Math Grades

Designed to improve outcomes for children from high-poverty, low-performing schools, the federally funded 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program emphasizes academic outcomes. We examined the effects of participation in academic and leisure activities in Michigan 21^st CCLC programs on English language arts (ELA) and mathematics grades among seventh- and eighth-grade students. Leisure activities were defined as any nonacademic activity: recreation and social time, physical movement, youth development, arts, and health and nutrition. Results showed that male students, low-income students, and academically at-risk students had lower grades in both ELA and math grades than their counterparts, regardless of other demographic factors or participation patterns. Data from our sample did not reveal any racial differences in ELA and math grades. Being older and having special education status were both associated with lower ELA grades, while English language learners tended to have higher ELA grades. After adjusting for these demographic differences, our study found that the dosage of leisure activities was linked to better math grades, while the dosage of academic activities was not linked to either ELA or math grades. A 10-hour increase in leisure activity time was associated with an increase in the math grade point of approximately 0.02 (A = grade point 4; B = 3), on average. Our study suggests that children from disadvantaged backgrounds might be best served when 21^st CCLC programs balance their academic focus with play and leisure activities.