5 STEPS TO HELP YOUR CHILD DEAL WITH TEST STRESS


Have you ever seen a case of test stress up close? It’s not a pretty sight! Testing—from pop quizzes to weekly spelling bees and end-of-chapter exams—is one of the biggest student stressors.

Here’s how to help your child deal with test stress:

  1. Ask each of your child’s teachers how tests are scheduled and how you’ll know test dates. Perhaps dates are noted on the school’s Internet site or in a parent newsletter. Ask how your child can best prepare. If he does not test well consider enrolling in a Study Skills program that is designed to assist in developing good organization and time management skills, establish effective note-taking skills, assist with reading and study strategies as well as test-taking strategies and techniques.


  2. Help your child get organized. Create a quiet, well-lit area used solely as her study space. Provide shelves, drawers, folders and files—each dedicated to a particular subject. Put up a large wall calendar and encourage her to jot down test and quiz dates as well as daily assignments, special projects, soccer games and band practices. On a smaller calendar on the refrigerator, list only test and quiz dates. That reinforces the importance of the tests and reminds you to remind her to study ahead of time.


  3. Offer to help review test material. (That’s different from saying, “I’ll be quizzing you the night before your exam.”) If your child accepts your offer, review in a way that augments his or her learning style, for instance, using flash cards to reinforce math facts, demonstrating a science experiment, developing and then answering possible test questions. If your child says, “Thanks, but no thanks,” to your offer to help, discuss the teacher tips that you gathered and suggest different ways to study: highlighting key words, taking notes, outlining information from the text, etc.


  4. Bodies need to be as test ready as minds. Routine physical activity must not be skipped during major testing periods such as end-of-semester or standardized test days. Encourage your child to get plenty of sleep the night before a test and get up 15 minutes earlier on test day. Replace the glazed donuts with fresh fruit and healthy cereal, and pepper breakfast with pleasant conversation and encouraging words. Suggest your child use those extra 15 minutes to review notes or summary sheets. Avoid quizzing. Missing a question or two at this point may add to your child’s stress.


  5. Remind your child to read the test directions carefully. Let him know that he should deal with the questions that he knows the answer to first and recheck all answers before turning in the test.
All students, regardless of skill-level, can benefit from improved Study Skills. Sylvan Learning Center’s Study Skills Program helps students in elementary school, middle high and high school develop a personal study process that works best for their individual learning styles and academic needs.

For more information on Sylvan Learning Center’s Study Skills Program and how you can help your child become confident and tackle challenging tests and assignments without anxiety or frustration, visit tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/info or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.