Attendance Matters

Daily school attendance will ensure success

He woke up late and there’s no way he’s getting to the bus. Would it really matter if he went to school late—or not at all?

In a word, yes. A study from the Journal of Educational Research found that attendance makes a big difference. Kids who are in school every day do better than those who aren’t.

But what can you do to make those mornings easier? How can you get your child up and out the door, on time, every day? Here are some tips:

• Start the night before. Is homework in the backpack? Are permission slips signed? Does he have lunch money?
• Put the backpack by the door your child will go out.
• Lay out clothes—down to the socks. This one step will avoid more morning fights than anything else you do.
• Create a to-do list of jobs that have to be done in the morning.

Reprinted with permission from the December 2007 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2007 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Douglas J. Lamdin, “Evidence of Student Attendance as an Independent Variable in Education Production Functions,” The Journal of Educational Research, Vol. 89 No. 3 (1-800-365-9753, www.heldref.org/jer.php).