How to Ease Test Stress

Test taking is one of the activities in school that causes many children stress. For some it's just a few butterflies in the stomach, a positive form of stress that prepares the child to act. But for other, it's a negative form of stress that comes from feeling incapable or overwhelmed. As the Johns Hopkins School of Education's website explains: The chaotic heart rate patterns brought on by negative stress cause tumultuous activity in the brain, which negatively impacts how information is processed. This process compromises the ability to problem solve on a test. Stress also inhibits working memory by interfering with the activity of the prefrontal lobe. The suppression or overproduction of dopamine, based on a student's individualized response to stress, can cause attention difficulties as well as a paralyzing, perfectionist test-taking approach, which exacerbates the initial stress experienced. Help your child get through his school exams by easing his test stress.

Instructions

    • 1

      Have your child study well in advance of the test, rather than cramming the night before. Two of the most effective study techniques are self testing and dividing the material into numerous, smaller study sessions, according to a 2013 study "Improving Students' Learning with Effective Learning Techniques" as reported by by the "Washington Post." Plan a study schedule with your child by assessing the number of days left before the test and allocating a portion of the material to be studied for each day. Allow some time at the beginning of each study session to review previously studied material.

    • 2

      Suggest to your child that just before the test she quickly look over the entire document before beginning - this way she will have an idea of how much work is involved and how much time to spend on each question. Remind her to read instructions carefully, and read them again to ensure accurate comprehension. Tell her to use the margin space on the test to write down important tools such as formulas or definitions so that she won't feel the stress of having to remember them later in the test. Remind her that if she selects the easy questions and answers them first, she will feel more confident as well as avoid the time wasting pitfall of being stuck on a difficult problem. Tell your child to skip the questions she does not know and instead attempt to answer them after she has completed the questions she feels confident about.

    • 3

      Have your child prepare physically for the test. Establish a daily routine of physical activity to assist in reducing overall stress levels, as well as maintaining good health. Ensure that your child gets a good night sleep the day before the test, so that she is not further challenged by excess fatigue. Provide your child with proper nourishment, such as fruits and vegetables, to lower her stress level. Have your child avoid processed foods containing refined sugar, artificial sweeteners and preservatives. Teach your child the relaxing properties of deep breathing, and instruct her to use this relaxation technique whenever she feels tense.

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