The following tips may help your children relax and be able to concentrate on the learning material instead of the pressure of the test.
- Make sure your children know what is expected of them before the exam.
- Children should keep up with the material, instead of trying to learn it all the night before the test.
- Have your children make flashcards, outlines and/ or summary pages for key study points.
- Make sure your children are taking good notes during class.
- Tell your children to think positively. Don't let them compare themselves to other students or think negatively about themselves. These thinking patterns will only feed the anxiety.
- Reward your children after a good study session.
- Teach your children basic relaxation techniques for when they feel stressed (i.e. deep breathing, visualization).
- Your children will need a good night's sleep before the test, as well as a nutritional breakfast the morning of the test.
- See if your children can put the test material into their own words to see if they fully understand it or if they are simply reciting the text book.
- Encourage your children to remember their relaxation techniques if they begin to feel stressed during the test, and to focus on the test itself, not their anxiety.
