by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is….) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, patlambchristiansauthor.com
The Importance of Regular School Attendance
Train up a child…
The Importance of Regular School Attendance
I remember an occasion when we first moved back to the Ozarks that my husband and I decided to go to Aurora to see my brother-in-law. Since I was raised in the Ozarks and had gone to Branson from Aurora many times, I thought it would be no problem to go to Aurora from Branson. The years away had caused me to forget some very important turns and we found ourselves going around in circles and zig-zagging back and forth. I thought we would never get to Aurora!
When children miss a lot of school, their learning takes a similar pattern. They go to school one day, learn some things, miss school the next day, and forget some things. Then, when they go back to school, they have to first go back and review or relearn what they learned two days before, try to catch up on what they missed the day they were absent, and at the same time do a full day’s work for that day. Their learning takes a zigzag pattern. We all know that we get someplace faster when we can go in a straight line than when we zigzag back and forth. This is why it is so important that children not miss school.
Actually, children never completely catch up on what they missed while absent. It is amazing how much a child can learn in one day. This is especially true of first grade. Children move so rapidly in first grade and it is a foundation for the years to come. I’ve always had a special place in my mind and heart for first-grade teachers. They really have to be on top of things. First grade is where the children learn the sounds that the letters of the alphabet make. If they miss school much, it will affect their reading. Also, basic concepts of numbers are taught in first grade. Unfortunately, in the past this was the time that children came in contact with most of the childhood diseases and had to miss a lot of school. Now, due to immunizations, many of these sicknesses have been eliminated.
Children should, of course, stay home if they are sick; however, parents should do all possible to keep their children healthy. Good nutrition, cleanliness, and plenty of rest are very important. Just as a car must have good gas to run, children should have wholesome food. Their bodies don’t do well on a diet of pop tarts or sugar cereal. Their little hands touch so many germs each day! Washing hands often helps keep the germs out of the system. A good bath each night takes those germs off, so they are less likely to find their way inside the body. They need to have a regular bedtime. At bedtime, mom or dad needs to tuck them in, perhaps tell or read a Bible story, and hear their prayers. At this time, mom or dad can give the child a big hug and say a few words of reassurance to put the child in the right frame of mind to face the next day.
We don’t get “do-overs” with our children. As this school year begins, let’s vow to do all we can to keep the children in good shape for school, keeping in mind that every day in school is an important day for learning.