Tests Anxiety and Children
Some children just can’t do well in school tests though prepared really well for it. It’s not due to lack of intelligence or hard work and child seems to know all the answers of the test questions. But the results are always below average.
Today, the pressure on children to perform and achieve is tremendous. Parents are pulling their socks like they are back in school again, as they try to jog their memories of fractions, decimals, maps, historical events, and the basic principles of science. They try screaming, bribing, extra classes, etc. to get their children perform well. But sometimes nothing seems to work.
The problem, in such cases, is one of test anxiety. Children become so nervous about the test that when faced with a blank answer sheet, their minds go blank, even if they are well prepared. Most parents find it hard to believe that mere nervousness can make a child forget everything he’s learned and clueless in resolving the problem.
The only way for child to get rid of this problem is by taking the test relaxed. Parents can help the child by taking care of the following:
1. Keep advising the child that whatever learnt is to be remembered for a long time. Same part of the brain controls both short term and emotions of humans. Thus when a child becomes nervous, emotional surge overrides the short-term memory and fails them to retrieve the information stored in short-term memory.
2. Encourage the child to recollect the prepared notes without looking at the book. During revisions child might have prepared orally concentrating on the written notes. But when faced with a blank sheet, child fails to get the words right. It may be a good idea for parents to test the child with a mock oral test.
3. Reduce child nervousness by downplaying the importance of the class ranks. No doubt, it is important, but if your child is going to be so tensed of failing that it affects performance, then sure you need to play it down. Try to make them look at tests from another point of view, as a method for teachers to assess whether their teaching is effective. Reassure them that you’re sure that they’ll do better next time.
4. Some children are not just confident enough. Some children think that they don’t know well and revise the material again and again. When they see a couple of questions for which they don’t get the answer immediately, they accept the defeat without even trying to recall the answer. Parent should convince them that no one could answer all the questions hence not to worry much about those answer blocks and thus to bring confidence to the child.Last but not the least is planning the study. Ensure that your child prepares a study schedule so as to avoid last minute preparations which makes them panic and in turn nervous to take test. The best parents can do is to discuss with and help the child to make a time table for tests preparation.
Some children just can’t do well in school tests though prepared really well for it. It’s not due to lack of intelligence or hard work and child seems to know all the answers of the test questions. But the results are always below average.
Today, the pressure on children to perform and achieve is tremendous. Parents are pulling their socks like they are back in school again, as they try to jog their memories of fractions, decimals, maps, historical events, and the basic principles of science. They try screaming, bribing, extra classes, etc. to get their children perform well. But sometimes nothing seems to work.
The problem, in such cases, is one of test anxiety. Children become so nervous about the test that when faced with a blank answer sheet, their minds go blank, even if they are well prepared. Most parents find it hard to believe that mere nervousness can make a child forget everything he’s learned and clueless in resolving the problem.
The only way for child to get rid of this problem is by taking the test relaxed. Parents can help the child by taking care of the following:
1. Keep advising the child that whatever learnt is to be remembered for a long time. Same part of the brain controls both short term and emotions of humans. Thus when a child becomes nervous, emotional surge overrides the short-term memory and fails them to retrieve the information stored in short-term memory.
2. Encourage the child to recollect the prepared notes without looking at the book. During revisions child might have prepared orally concentrating on the written notes. But when faced with a blank sheet, child fails to get the words right. It may be a good idea for parents to test the child with a mock oral test.
3. Reduce child nervousness by downplaying the importance of the class ranks. No doubt, it is important, but if your child is going to be so tensed of failing that it affects performance, then sure you need to play it down. Try to make them look at tests from another point of view, as a method for teachers to assess whether their teaching is effective. Reassure them that you’re sure that they’ll do better next time.
4. Some children are not just confident enough. Some children think that they don’t know well and revise the material again and again. When they see a couple of questions for which they don’t get the answer immediately, they accept the defeat without even trying to recall the answer. Parent should convince them that no one could answer all the questions hence not to worry much about those answer blocks and thus to bring confidence to the child.Last but not the least is planning the study. Ensure that your child prepares a study schedule so as to avoid last minute preparations which makes them panic and in turn nervous to take test. The best parents can do is to discuss with and help the child to make a time table for tests preparation.
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