It’s normal for your child to get nervous before a test or quiz at school. The intensity of their anxiety though is dependent on how confident and calm they feel. It’s important for your child to properly prepare, practice healthy habits, and be optimistic about the results.

Follow these tips to help ease test anxiety for your child:

1. Develop Efficient Study Habits.

Preparing for a test is a very important step in reducing test anxiety. It’s key to remember that every child is different. While some can capture everything after the first review, others may need to highlight key topics or write down notes on flashcards or do something unique that works for them. Some students may even need to create mnemonics (memory devices that help learners recall larger pieces of information, especially in the form of lists like characteristics, steps, stages, parts, etc – for example, to remember the spelling of “because” – Baby Eats Candy And Usually Says E).

Test and try different study habits and see which is the best fit for your child. Avoid pushing them to study a different way, or your way. What works for you may not work for them.

Additionally, sit with your child and determine a study plan together. Designate a time and place to study daily.  Begin strategizing on how the studying will be broken down. Help your child prioritize and delegate their time between different chapters or sections.

2. Provide Proper Resources.

Often students feel too embarrassed to ask for help on something that was taught weeks ago. They become unsure about the topic while studying and end up puzzled during exam time.

To avoid this, have your child create a list of topics or sections that they are struggling with. Then, take some time to review the list. Identify if your child simply needs a refresher on these topics or if they need further help. If it is a matter of needing a refresher, encourage them to review work they have done previously, remind themselves how they solved certain problems or completed those sections of work, make summaries and / or mind maps to make the information more manageable and easier to remember.

If it is a matter of needing further help the first port of call would be to address it with their teacher. Depending on your child’s age, you can reach out to their teacher or you can encourage them to seek help from their teacher. Making the teacher aware of what your child is struggling with may lead them to find different ways of explaining difficult topics in class.  You can also go online to find resources / video clips that can explain the work better or seek out extra-mural programmes (such as Kumon) that can supplement their learning and increase their confidence and knowledge retention.

3. Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle.

The week of the test can be a very exhausting week. Be sure that your child is not only balancing homework and afterschool activities, but also eating and resting adequately.

It’s important to plan. If your child needs more time to study during test week then be sure to make alternative arrangements with extracurricular activities. However, if your child is on track with their studying, be sure to keep these activities. Going to a sport practice or ballet class is a good reward after spending hours of preparing for the test. Taking a break to do some physical activity is excellent to clear and refresh the mind, release tension and anxiety and give renewed energy to focus on studying again. 

Another good way to reinforce and motivate your child is by providing them with positive affirmations. Have them repeat after you. It can be a simple “I got this!” or something more inspiring like “Hard work will pay off!” Engraving these positive thoughts will make your child feel optimistic and rewarded for their hard work. You can also schedule a fun evening or weekend activity after the test to reward your child for their hard work and preparation.

In Closing

Test anxiety is very challenging to manage and adds extra stress. With proper preparation and study habits your child will succeed. It’s crucial to see what tactics and strategies work best with your child. Ultimately, the most efficient approach of studying will be what determines their test grade. Be a supportive parent by putting into practice these steps to help ease your child’s test anxiety.

Should you be interested in learning more about Kumon and how it can support your child, visit www.kumon.co.za 

This article is taken directly from the KUMON NORTH AMERICA website: 

https://www.kumon.com/resources/three-tips-for-easing-test-anxiety/