Is attendance in kindergarten really that important?
You bet it is! Kindergarten is not just for finger painting any more. Children learn important
skills that “set the course” for their future school success.
Just look at these facts:

One in ten kindergarteners and first graders miss a month or more of school during the
year when all their absences are added up! That is critical learning time being lost.

Missing too much school is stressful for children. Children who do not learn the building
blocks and basic skills they need in the early grades will need to work harder to stay
afloat as they go on. Many never catch up.

Missing too much school (in Illinois that is 9 or more days per year) adversely affects a
child’s ability to learn. Studies show that students with chronic absenteeism perform at a
lower rate in reading, math and general studies.

Students who miss too much school also miss experiences including lessons about
relationships that help teach them the social skills they need to succeed in school and life.
Most importantly, chronic absenteeism is the single strongest predictor that a student will drop
out of school before graduation. Students who drop out of school are much more likely to be
poor, teen parents, unemployed, involved in crime or suffer from substance abuse problems.
Source: Attendance Works and the I-KAN Regional Office of Education Attendance Assistance
Program.
One time, every day, all day! Making Attendance a
Priority
Here are a few suggestions to help you teach your children the importance of
regular school attendance.

Set a regular bed time and morning routine.

Lay out clothes and pack backpacks the night before.

Don’t let your child stay home unless she is truly sick. Keep in mind complaints of
a stomach ache or headache can be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay
home.

If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school
counselors, or other parents for advice on how to make her feel comfortable and
excited about learning.

Develop back-up plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a
family member, a neighbor, or another parent.

Avoid medical appointments and extended trips when school is in session.
Source: Attendance Works and the I-KAN Regional Office of Education Attendance Assistance
Program.
Why Attendance Matters in Early Education Programs
Study after study confirms the value of high-quality early childhood education
for developing the cognitive, social and emotional skills that children need to
succeed in kindergarten.
But unless children attend these programs on a regular basis, they are not
likely to benefit fully.
Too often, attendance in the early years is an afterthought. Because preschool,
and in most states, kindergarten are not mandatory, too few parents
understand the value of regular attendance for laying a foundation for their
children’s future success.
Despite these attitudes, a growing body of research shows that paying
attention to attendance for the youngest children is essential.
Absenteeism starts early: One in 10 kindergarten and first grade students
misses 10 percent of the school year in excused and unexcused absences; in
some cities, the number is as high as one in four. The limited data on
preschool attendance show even greater rates of chronic absenteeism.
Early attendance can predict attendance in the later years: Good
attendance is a habit that children need to form. If they don’t do so early,
attendance suffers later. In Chicago, 80 percent of the children who were
chronically absent in kindergarten had been chronically absent in pre-school.
An Oregon study found that children who were chronically absent in
kindergarten and first grade had the lowest levels of attendance five years
later.
Early attendance can help children learn to read and succeed in school.
Literacy instruction is frontloaded in the early grades, so if children miss too
much school, they lag behind classmates in reading and also were more likely
to be retained in later grades.
Poor children are more likely to be chronically absent: Children from lowincome families are four times more likely to be chronically absent. Because
they are more likely to depend upon school to learn to read, the adverse
impact on literacy development is 75 percent greater for poor children than
for their middle class peers. For poor children, early chronic absence
correlates with the worst achievement levels in 5th grade
Source: Attendance Works and the I-KAN Regional Office of Education Attendance Assistance
Program.