Boosting Attendance in Preschool Can Start With a Knock on the Door

Submitted by Judy Hanning on Mon, 2017-01-16 17:00
It is important that young children attend preschool as research has shown a correlation between preschool attendance and performance in kindergarten and potentially beyond. One method that has shown to improve preschool attendance is for teachers to make home visits. The rationale is that home visits can reinforce the importance of preschool attendance before the child’s attendance becomes an issue.

Researchers and many top preschool programs are focusing on one solution as a way of getting pre-K attendance up: Home visits at the beginning of the year, before kids start missing and before parents have a chance to feel skeptical about the school.

The reason home visits are an effective method to improve preschool attendance is that the teachers form a relationship with the child and their family. These visits help develop a trusting relationship and establish a two communication between the schools and families. The visits also inform families of the importance of preschool education to those who are not convinced of the need.
Researchers and many top preschool programs are focusing on one solution as a way of getting pre-K attendance up: Home visits at the beginning of the year, before kids start missing and before parents have a chance to feel skeptical about the school.
~ National Public Radio

Key Takeaways:

1
New research shows that if kids miss a lot of preschool, they’re way more likely to have problems in kindergarten or later on.
2
D.C. Wessler trains other teachers at Burrville to do home visits, which are a big part of the school’s overall strategy.
3
Schools with high preschool attendance, he says, have one important thing in common: “connection with families.”
Read the full article here:
http://www.readingrockets.org/news/boosting-attendance-preschool-can-start-knock-door