Zap Test Anxiety While Building Self Esteem in Kids by:Julie Wilson
If you are a parent, you know how important a good education is for your child
. You likely also feel the pressure placed on your student to excel in the classroom and strive to be 'the best.' It seems that schools across the board are in competition to determine who can produce the greatest number of Einsteins each year. It's not enough to bring home a good report card any more. Students and teachers alike are now under the gun to ace the various state-mandated tests that could propel their school to the top. As the saying goes, 'competition is fierce.'
All of this is enough to cause a nervous breakdown. Or at least produce a cold sweat! There's no doubt about it - kids are under tremendous pressure to perform, and it's no surprise that with this pressure comes a good bit of anxiety and a whole lot of self-doubt.
So what can parents and teachers do to alleviate test anxiety while boosting self-esteem in our students? According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), teachers and parents must work together to help children learn good study skills, first and foremost, and parent involvement is definitely key. Parents of elementary students usually help their children more than parents of adolescents, but NASP says that older students also need parental support through high school. Two-thirds (66 percent) of parents polled by the National Education Association (NEA) say that their middle school students seek their help with homework, so from your child's point of view, you are an important part of his or her learning process.
Reducing test anxiety and boosting self esteem actually go hand-in-hand if you think about it. The stronger a child feels about his or her capabilities, the more confidently he or she will tackle a test or exam. Keeping up with homework throughout the week is an excellent way to keep your child on track and to be prepared when test day arrives. And according to the United States Department of Education (USDE), www.ed.gov, parents can help their children with homework in a variety of ways. Here are a couple of suggestions:
Set a regular homework time -- This demonstrates to your children (especially middle and high schoolers) that even though they are growing in age and intelligence, they are still expected to complete their homework assignments. By setting a time as a family, you will know when to be available to answer your children's homework questions and monitor their progress.
Help your student by monitoring assignments -- This does not necessarily mean correcting each homework problem. Just make sure you are available to answer questions during the allotted homework time. Even if you are not able to answer all questions, or if your student has no questions at all, your presence shows your child respect and support.
It probably goes without saying that adequate sleep, a balanced diet and regular exercise can enhance a child's performance in school and should be the 'ground work' for ensuring a positive school experience. In fact, a recent study found that high school students who got eight hours of sleep before taking a math test were nearly three times more likely to figure out the problem than those who stayed awake all night (source: KidsHealth.org).
Georgia elementary school teacher and former private school principal, Beth Scussel, offers several suggestions for helping calm a child's anxiety prior to a big test. Says Scussel, "Keep your regular home routines - go to bed at what would be the regular time. Say assuring things like 'You are prepared for this test. You will do just fine. I am always proud of you.'"
As a parent with a child who sometimes lacks confidence, Scussel says she can almost feel his pain when he worries about taking tests. "My son tells me about getting sweaty hands and feeling his heart beat so loud that it rings in his ears before a test. My mantra with him is always the same when he is nervous - 'God made you a brave, strong boy and you can DO THIS!' Then he and I will brainstorm the many times he has been confident before: trying out for the football team, telling a friend that he hurt your feelings and you didn't like it, and reading 25 books in class. Then he usually feels better with some hugs and hand holding," explains Scussel. Helping your child think positive and offering your encouragement can work wonders.
According to Math & Reading Help for Kids (
http://math-and-reading-halp-for-kids.org), it is extremely important to:
make time for homework (as we've already noted);
improve teacher/student relationships;
offer children other fun ways to improve skills, supplementing homework efforts; Sudoku, a logic-based educational puzzle, can help improve a child's critical thinking, math and logic skills. And it's fun!
As a teacher, Scussel develops and nurtures relationships with her students from the start, which helps to promote a relaxed classroom environment, minimizing anxiety that some students feel. "I think self-esteem in kids is extremely important. I set rules and expectations on the first day of school, and have 36 classroom rules that I have taken from Ron Clark's Essential 55 book. We read, discuss and role play each one of them on the first day. I have them posted in my room, and each child has a copy," says Scussel. "When you have a family-feel to your classroom and the atmosphere is one of safety, kindness and lots of fun, kids tend to forget their self-esteem issues. I also reward those reluctant children who take risks and try, and likewise I reward children who are supportive and patient."
Perhaps nothing helps squelch test anxiety better than simply being prepared. The Boy Scouts have had it right all along! And remember when mom used to say, "Practice makes perfect?" Indeed, repetition comes into play when a student is studying for a test. I was a fan of flash cards and used to cut and paste questions into Word documents to help my kids study. I created quizzes with them and monitored as they took our 'homemade' tests before going to school for the real thing. I ended up creating my own study site, Qwizzy's World, when I couldn't find an online resource that worked for my purposes. What's neat about it is that my kids learn their test material before they even realize they are studying. They input their own test questions, record answers, and then actually take the test they've created. Then, they can take this test as many times as they'd like. And they are prepared when they leave for school.
My son's teacher has become a fan. "Qwizzy's World is helpful for my students - I have seen an improvement in their test grades. Students have told me that they can remember and learn more from studying with QW rather than traditional study methods," said middle school teacher Amy Ingram. "I like using QW in my classroom as a way to differentiate learning, and it's a great tool for preparing students for state mandated testing."
And speaking of state mandated tests, you can purchase study guides that are full of sample tests that can ease anxiety by exposing students to the kinds of questions they will be asked on these statewide tests. An Atlanta-based company called School Box (www.schoolbox.com) is a fantastic resource for all kinds of study materials, and they have an extensive online store.
One last trick I'd like to share that can ease your child's nerves is some sage advice from Kerstin Sjoquist, C.H.T. She recommends telling your child to imagine their favorite place if they get frazzled during a test. Brain scans show simply visualizing something calm and happy triggers the brain to produce relaxing alpha waves in less than 30 seconds, slowing heart rate and breathing. Within moments, they'll feel more calm and able to concentrate again!
While we can't take away all of our children's fears and anxieties about school and test-taking, we can be their biggest advocates. Coupling love and encouragement with some of the strategies we've discussed here can go a long way in helping your child achieve success in the classroom and beyond.
About the author
Qwizzy's World is a unique study site, where practice quizzes can be created from a student's current study materials - great for preparing for any classroom testing!
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