Sports

• Pediatrician and School Health expert Howard Taras states in his 2005 study of the relationship between physical activity and student performance that "physical activity is likely to help children perform better in school" because physical activity "improves general circulation, increases blood flow to the brain" and releases brain chemicals which "may reduce stress and improve mood" and "induce a calming effect." Taras' research shows that these advantages to physical activity can improve achievement in school. Extracurricular activities such as football, soccer, cheerleading, and wrestling promote physical activity, as do baseball, tennis, running, bowling, and basketball. Non-athletes can benefit from physical extracurricular activities through gymnastics or aerobics programs.
  
  

Music

• According to research compiled by music teachers in Keller, Texas, there is a large amount of evidence that suggest the relationship between music and student achievement. As the research shows, studies performed by UCLA, the College Board, and the Neurological Research professional journal all conclude that music students score higher on SATs, music improves test scores, music lessons boost math scores and that music training helps underachievers, among other things. Extracurricular activities such as instrument lessons, band, or choir all promote learning through music, and can benefit student's performance in academic subjects.
  
  

Art

• A National State Assembly of Arts Agencies publication connects student learning in the arts to students' academic and social achievements. According the Assembly, "research has shown that what students learn in the arts may help them to master other subjects, such as reading, math or social studies." The national agency's conclusions reflect the results of a 2002 study published by pulitzer prize-nominated journalist Richard Deasy entitled, "Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development." Extracurricular art classes are a place for students to develop artistic talents as well as other skills like interpretation, communication and calculation.
  
  

Clubs and Organizations

• According to a 2011 study published in the scientific journal "Child Development," there is a direct correlation between a student's social skills and academic performance. The study found that over the course of six months, students who received social skill instruction performed 11 percent better in academics than students who did not receive the same instruction. School clubs, organizations, and after school programs promote social skills through structured group collaboration and cooperation. In a 2007 study, scholars Durlak and Weissman found that school clubs and after school programs contributed to "positive social behaviors, school grades and achievement test scores." The authors also found that in addition to benefiting student's academic performance through social development, school clubs and after school programs also reduced behavioral problems and drug use.