Minimizing Test Anxiety in Your Children

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Minimizing Test Anxiety in Your Children

• Angela Miller
• Counselor
• Sara Harp Minter Elementary School

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What is Test Anxiety

• The uneasiness or apprehension that a student
  feels before, during, or after a test because of
  worry or fear of failure.
• Everyone experiences anxiety. However, when
  anxiety interferes with test-taking and learning
  it can cause students to blank out or have
  problems paying attention.
• Parents can help their children manage test
  anxiety.

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What can I do as a parent?Practical Steps

• Make sure your child has enough sleep, eats a
  healthy breakfast and gets to school on time.
• Make sure your child has the needed school
  supplies for the test.
• Doing well on the test is easier if a student has
  been consistently completing school assignments,
  including studying and reading. Encouraging your
  child to complete homework each day is important
  and helpful.

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What can I do as a parent?

• Motivate your child to want to take the test.
• You can do this by reinforcing their efforts,
  including studying and homework tasks, rather
  than focusing on having a certain grade.

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What can I do as a parent?

• Maintain enthusiasm, praise, and at times, small
  rewards for giving their best effort in spite of
  feeling worried.

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What can I do as a parent?

• Teach your child to challenge negative thoughts.
• This can be done by looking at the evidence
  against the negative thought.
• Negative Thought Im going to fail this test or
  I do badly on every test.
• Parent Comeback Do you really fail every
  test? or What is likely to happen if you study?

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What can I do as a parent?

• Help your child find a more optimistic thought to
  use whenever the negative one arise.
• Example When I study I do pass tests.

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What can I do as a parent?

• Teach your child to relax.
• Simple techniques such as deep breathing and
  meditation can help your child relax.
• Relaxation is a skill that requires learning and
  practice, so keep the relaxation practices short
  and simple.
• Make it a family activity, where everyone takes
  the time to breathe deeply.
• Use the techniques yourself, for example, when
  you become frustrated while driving

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What can I do as a parent?

• Help your child address the What-if questions.
• Many times before we take tests we are filled
  with anxiety dealing with the what ifs.
• Such as, What if I fail? or What if I cant
  remember anything?
• Turn the what-if question into a positive that
  can help the child see it in a different way.
• Such as What if I can remember more than I
  think I can or What if I can feel calmer that I
  think I can?

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What Should Parents Avoid Doing?

• Avoid giving excessive reassurance.
• Such as repeatedly saying, Youll do great!

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What Should Parents Avoid Doing?

• Avoid telling your child exactly what to do.
• It is more useful to ask your child to come up
  with a realistic plan for studying and taking the
  test.
• Successful completion of the plan enhances the
  childs feeling of control and accomplishment,
  and this will decrease anxiety.
• Remember to build some relaxation and fun time to
  your childs plan.

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What Should I Avoid Doing?

• Do not ignore your childs anxiety problem by
  hoping it will go away.
• If you notice some signs of test anxiety and you
  dont feel comfortable talking to your child
  about it, tell his/her teacher or school
  counselor. We can help.

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What Should I Avoid Doing?

• Dont be impatient.
• Example Just take the test and get over it!

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What Should I Avoid Doing?

• Dont allow the child to avoid the situation.
• Example You can stay home today.

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What Should I Avoid Doing?

• Dont be too anxious about your childs test
  scores.
• If you put too much emphasis on test scores, this
  can make an already anxious child more anxious.
• Even children who normally do well can develop
  performance anxiety because of their desire to
  please their parents.
• Simply encourage your child to do their best.

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What Should I Avoid Doing?

• Dont judge a child on the basis of a single test
  score.
• Test scores are not perfect measures of what a
  child can do.
• Emphasize that the test is only one measure of
  academic performance that helps schools to plan
  for the childs education.
• Test scores, do not however, determine their
  worth.

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If you need anything . . .

• Do not hesitate to call or e-mail me.
• I am here for you and the students.
• E-mail Address miller.angela_at_fcboe.org
• 770-706-3910