Missing school every now and then doesn’t seem like such a big deal. But being absent even part of a day can affect a student’s academic achievement in many ways, resulting in:
- Lower grades. Students who arrive after class begins miss important elements of a lesson.
- Missed information. Tardy students often miss hearing announcements and updates from the teacher. They may miss hearing about homework assignments and important test dates.
- Loss of valuable learning time for all. A student’s late arrival affects everyone in the classroom as the teacher takes time to get the tardy student caught up.
If your child is frequently tardy:
- Monitor your child’s sleep. If she frequently oversleeps, you may need to establish an earlier bedtime.
- Make mornings go smoothly. Give your child an alarm clock. Put it across the room so she will have to get up to turn it off. Allow plenty of time for using the bathroom, getting dressed and eating a healthy breakfast.
- Ask for help. If family circumstances interfere with getting your child to class on time, make an appointment to talk with her teacher.