Helping
your child overcome test
anxiety
Parent
Spot for Parents of Middle School Students
Tests
are a big part of school life, more so today than ever before with
the emphasis on meeting higher standards. Today’s tests not only
tell students how well they are doing and where they need to
improve, they also allow teachers to identify where the curriculum
needs to be fine tuned.
So if tests are so helpful,
why do they cause some children so much anguish?
Any test that requires
students to show their best work is likely to produce some jitters.
However, when those jitters produce extreme preoccupation with
failure, sleeplessness, trembling hands, stomach pains or feeling
faint, your child is likely experiencing "test anxiety."
According to the U.S.
Department of Education, students who suffer from test anxiety tend
to worry about success in school and may be extremely self-critical.
Instead of feeling challenged by the prospect of success, they
become afraid of failure. This makes them anxious about tests and
their own abilities. Simply encouraging them to stop worrying
usually doesn’t help ease their concerns. If you find your child
tends to experience anxiety prior to tests, here are some things you
might try:
- Encourage your child to
study over a period of time rather than "cram" the
night before an exam. This becomes particularly important with
end-of-the-year tests, many of which are reflective of the
content that has been taught throughout the year. Test
preparation should be more like a review than a stressful
attempt to learn a year’s worth of curriculum in one night.
- Try to keep your talk about
tests casual (while driving in the car or preparing dinner, ask
how your child feels about an upcoming test). Children are more
likely to open up about fears or anxiety in less confrontational
situations rather than when face-to-face.
- Meet with teachers or a
guidance counselor to discuss your child’s progress. They can
suggest activities to do at home to help prepare for tests and
improve your child’s understanding of schoolwork.
- Stay well informed about
your child’s tests.
- Know how different test
results are used and how they will affect your child’s
placement in school. Many content area tests and projects count
for a percentage of the year’s grade and can determine whether
a student passes or fails a subject area. Others, like the
eighth grade state tests, are designed to show how well students
have learned information in different content areas throughout
the middle school years. Students who score below a certain
level will not be retained because of their grade. Scores from
these tests are used by teachers to determine whether students
will need remedial help to prepare for the more challenging
content in high school.
- Don’t dismiss the test as
unimportant. At the same time, let your child know that it’s
his or her effort and not the final score that really counts.
Before the
test, make sure your child:
- Gets a good night’s
sleep.
- Eats a wholesome breakfast.
- Has all necessary materials
(pen, pencil, calculator, etc.).
- Avoids stressful situations
(such as arguments) prior to testing.
During the
test, encourage your child to:
- Ask questions of the person
administering the test if unsure what is being asked.
- Answer questions completely
and in detail.
- Check to be sure no
questions have been skipped.
- Avoid becoming distracted
by other test takers.
- Silently repeat calming
phrases such as "This is only a test," "I don’t
have to be perfect," or "I can be nervous later, but
now I have to concentrate on the test."
- Take a few deep breaths,
get up to get a drink or to sharpen a pencil, shift seating
position or stand to stretch.
- Don’t worry about who
finishes first or last.
- Go back and proof answers
again if finished early, but don’t change anything unless sure
of the change. Studies show the first answer is usually the
right one.
Suggested
reading for parents and students
Ready, Set, Relax: A
Research-Based Program of Relaxation, Learning and Self-Esteem for
Children by
Jeffrey S. Allen, Roger J. Klein - This book for families teaches
how to use visualization and breathing techniques to overcome
difficult situations.
Don’t Pop Your Cork on
Mondays: The Children’s Anti-Stress Book
by Adolph J. Moser, Dav Pilkey (Illustrator) - This book written for
kids (ages 9-12) talks about the causes and effects of stress and
offers practical approaches and techniques for dealing with stress
in daily life.
For permission to reprint this
article, please contact the Capital Region BOCES Communications
Service by e-mailing us at dbushsuf@gw.neric.org.
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