There are good reasons to be consistant with attendance from the beginning of a child's school career. Parents with the best of intentions feel that missing days of school in the Primary grades is not that much of a big deal. Research, and personal experience tells us that a strong value about daily attendance expectations results in better school success overall.

Some facts about attendance:

Over 7 million (1 in 7) U.S. students miss nearly a month of school each year.

Absenteeism and its ill effects start early. One in 10 kindergarten and first grade students are chronically absent.

Poor attendance can influence whether children read proficiently by the end of third grade or be held back.

By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicatior that a student will drop out of high school.

Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school year, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student's academic performance. That's just two days a month and that's known as chronic absence.

The academic impact  of missing that much school is the same whether the absences are excused or unexcused. Suspensions also add to lost time in the  classroom.

When students improve their attendance rates, they improve their academic prospects and chances for graduating.