Help Your Child Win Test Stress

Posted on 10. Apr, 2009 by TheCuteKid Photo Contest in Development, Parenting

Taming Your Child’s Test Anxiety
Tricks for curbing pre-exam stress

by Vicki Salemi

You know the drill. On the eve of every test it never fails.  Your young grade schooler is a bundle of nerves. Despite knowing the material, she’s afraid of blanking out during the exam and starts clamming up for no reason.

Well, history doesn’t have to repeat itself.  Considering she’ll have countless tests throughout her school career, it’s time to address this issue before it gets worse. We checked in with a couple of experts to help you turn your child into a relaxed and confident student when it comes to test taking 101.

Tone Down the Grade Talk, Then Play

According to Devin Thornburg, professor in the Ruth S. Ammon School of Education at Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, it’s important for parents to be available to listen to their children, and then talk to them about the purpose of the test. “Parents can emphasize the effort that the child makes on the test rather than the outcome,” he says. Too often, anxiety is the result of being focused on the outcome.  “If parents truly believe that children doing their best is as important – if not more so- it can help with anxiety.”

Plus, it may help to positively reinforce their test-taking ability afterwards. Perhaps make it like a game and quiz them the night before with flashcards if it’s a vocabulary or math test. By positively reinforcing their knowledge and telling them they know the subject, playing a fun game should hopefully ease their anxiety somewhat.

Focus on the Right Answers

Taking the pressure off will also lessen the importance of the negative and in turn, emphasize the positive. Experts say to focus on what your child is getting right instead of what she’s getting wrong. In fact, Lisa Jacobson, founder and CEO of Inspirica, a company focusing on individual tutoring and test preparation, says relaxed test takers have one thing in common. “They do not look at how many questions they are getting wrong, but instead focus on how many they are getting right.” In order to promote this testing gene in your kid, ask to look at their test after they get it back from their teacher and specifically point out how much they know.  Praise them for their correct answers instead of showing where they made errors.

Don’t Forget…

Jacobson also advises that you don’t neglect the basics, which may get lost in the shuffle. Since you want your child to feel mentally prepared even though she may get the jitters, ensure she gets a good night sleep. Try doing something relaxing such as watching a little must-see TV after the studying is done, to help calm her. Then, a good breakfast the next morning will get her on their way.

What test preparation routine works for your children?

Get your cutie started in the entertainment business. The CuteKid™ is the internet’s largest and most respected child & baby photo contest. Join the fastest growing community of industry pros and parents like you! Your Cutie Pie into Baby Modeling.

It’s FREE to become a member and reap the rewards.

Do You Have a CuteKid™? Join today.

Tags: child education, child test stress, kid education, parent advice, parent center, Parenting, test stress, tests for kids