Are you looking for ways to help students lower their unexcused absences? If so, keep reading.
1. Set a time for the student to leave their home in the morning.
2. Require that time spent away from class/school be made up at recess, during lunch, or after school.
3. Make sure the student is properly placed according to capacity and ability level in those classes in which they are enrolled (e.g., the class is not too complicated; the class is not too easy).
4. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Repeated failure may cause the student to be absent to avoid competitive situations.
5. Assist the student in creating friendships that may encourage their attendance in school/class.
6. Provide open communication with the student’s family to make sure that the student is leaving for school at the designated time.
7. Do not force the student to interact with others or do things that make them feel awkward and cause the student to want to be absent.
8. Make sure the student and parents are aware of the laws involving attendance in school.
9. Connect with the parents(e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for school attendance.
10. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e .g., being in attendance) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.
11. Praise those students who attend school/class.
12. Praise the student for coming to school/class or arriving at a learning experience at a specific time: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).
13. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.
14. Talk with the student to explain(a) what the student is doing wrong (e.g., being absent from school/class and (b) what the student should be doing (e.g., being in attendance).
15. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.
17. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.
18. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.
