As we know, tests and quizzes are all a part of education’s enrichment process. Every school year, children are faced with challenging exams on a wide number of subjects — which can cause a lot of stress on your young one. As children strive to achieve high test scores while also making a good impression on their parents and teachers, this leads to the dreaded test anxiety. Here are some ways to help your child overcome their test-taking fears.
Incorporate Good Study Habits to Avoid Test Anxiety
Test anxiety doesn’t have to be this massive burden on your child. With the proper preparation, your child can overcome such. Some good study habits to incorporate include…
– Studying for 30 minutes at a time, taking a 10 minute break in between. This helps children retain information without stressing them out over the thought of studying for prolonged periods of time.
– Incorporating the use of flashcards. Writing a description on one side of the card and the answer on the other side creates a “word association”-level dynamic that’ll increase memory retention in your child
– Take a practice test! What better way to get prepared for a test than to take an actual test modeled after your exam? There are plenty of resources to find free tests and/or practice questions online. You can even ask your teacher for old tests that can possibly help!
Encourage Strong Test-Taking Habits
Test anxiety can also be combated by encouraging strong test-taking habits in your child. When the anxiety kicks in, children have a habit of thinking too fast. In turn, they can miss a lot of important instructions as their minds are racing at lightspeed. Some good test-taking habits to incorporate include…
– Read questions carefully! This means don’t skip words or skim the instructions. Make sure you’re clear on what is being asked of you, and don’t assume anything. If a question asks for specific information, make sure you follow that request.
– Don’t read the answers first. Make sure you understand and digest the question first before doing anything else. Then you can start drawing conclusions about the answer. Remember that some teachers like to add trick questions!
– IF TESTS HAVE A LISTENING SECTION:
Listen closely to the teacher, listen carefully to the questions, and most importantly, remember that you’re not alone; everyone else in the room is dealing with the same stress as you are.
Keeping Your Child Mentally and Physically Healthy
Test anxiety can also be defeated by keeping your child mentally and physically healthy. Mental and physical aspects to keep in mind…
– Get 8 hours of sleep. Deep sleep and REM sleep are important for both physical and mental recovery! Getting the right amount of sleep should eliminate any brain fog and restore the body’s muscles.
– Eat healthy! Incorporating fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet as opposed to sugary snacks and drinks will promote a positive mental state and improve cognition and focus.
– Talk to your children. Take the time to sit them down and have a heart-to-heart conversation. You may never know what they’re going through until you give them a forum to sit down and vent their true thoughts, frustrations, and feelings. It can be quite cathartic for your child!
Remaining Positive
Remaining positive is important. It can be tough for your child to maintain that attitude when they’re under stress, but remember that it’s okay to let them know you understand how stressful tests can be and that you don’t want them to feel alone in their feelings. You don’t want to make it seem like testing is a bad thing; instead, encourage them to remain positive and afloat about the situation at hand.
