Managing the Problem
Even a simple weekly spelling test can raise anxiety
in certain children. If the task seems difficult, there is
always pressure to perform and “do better.” Here are
some ways to alleviate the fears associated with taking
any kind of test:
• Keep it Light: Children will, in some measure, reflect
your attitude toward the test. Be sure you’re not
reinforcing fears by conveying your worry about their
performance. Keep the tone light when discussing tests.
Talk about similar situations such as learning a new skill
in baseball or soccer. Emphasize “doing your best” and
that’s good enough. Use a neutral tone of voice that
minimizes the stressors associated with taking a test.
• Provide Practice: Whenever possible, alleviate fears by
taking practice tests during study times. Practice helps
children get over the unknown aspects of testing that
might build anxiety.
• Don’t Overdo Study Times: Make study times regular,
but short. For children in K-3 study times of 15-20
minutes are optimal. For a nervous student, the time
might even be ten minutes with lots of encouragement
and light-hearted fun mixed in the practice. Use
appropriate materials such as flash cards, oral practice
and written tests. Practice reading directions and
following them carefully.
• Provide a Quiet Study Space: Be sure that study
• Unconditional Love: It goes without saying that your
child needs to know they are loved and valued no
matter how they score on any test in the world. Their
worth is a given and their performance is just that—
how well they scored on a given day.
• Be a Role Model: Model good management of stress
in your own life. How do you handle the anxieties
in taking on a new job or a new role in a volunteer
position? What do you do and say when you make a
mistake or fail in some way? Children are all ears when
it comes to their parents’ ability to cope with stressors.
Whether we like it or not, we live in a time when
testing is a big part of our child’s learning experience.
The best way to deal with the tests is to prepare your
child to have a healthy understanding of the process
and to enable them to perform to their potential.
Your attitude toward testing and the support you
provide your child will make a big difference in the way
he or she responds to testing situations. Together you
can slay the testing dragon.
Helpful Books on Fear and
Anxiety in Children
The Anti-Test Anxiety Society by Julia Cook
time is protected and undisturbed by other noise
or interruption. A special study spot with the child’s
personal study materials is a good idea and may provide
motivation for the task. When I Feel Scared by Cornelia Maude Spelman
• Anxiety is a Normal Part of Life: Help your child Growing Up Brave: Expert Strategies for Helping Your Child
Overcome Fear, Stress and Anxiety by Donna Pincus
understand that everyone experiences a measure of
anxiety when doing new things or when the occasion is
an important one. Liken the situation to playing in the
Super Bowl or performing in the Olympics. Those are
huge arenas in which to perform. Everyone feels anxiety
in such situations, but the opportunity is worth the cost.
• The Role of Failure in Learning: Take an honest look at
failure. Everyone experiences failure in life if they’re
competing in any way. Teams lose games, individuals
fail at meeting a goal—failure is a natural part of
“being in the game.” Famous athletes, scientists, and
other world leaders have tried and failed many times.
Help your child learn that failing is part of learning and
life and is not to be feared.
Wilma Jean the Worry Machine by Julia Cook
Starving the Exam Stress Gremlin by Kate Collins-Donnelly
Sources: Measuring Test Anxiety in Children, Douglas Wren and Jeri
Benson, University of Georgia, Athens, September 2004, Vol. 17, No.
3, pp 227-240; Chase Away the Test-Taking Blues in Young Kids by
Rebecca Sims, www.education.com; What to Do (and Not Do) When
Children Are Anxious, by Clark Goldstein, PhD, Child Mind Institute,
August 24, 2015; Test Anxiety, Anxiety and Depression Association of
America, Silver Spring, Maryland; Test Anxiety in Children, by Natasha
Tracy, Healthy Place. www.healthyplace.com
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