Tips on Helping Your Child with Test Anxiety
By Lori Lite
Finals, a quiz, or standardized testing can evoke feelings of stress, fear, even panic. These strong emotions can affect a child’s ability to think clearly and access information. It’s normal for kids and teens to feel a little nervous before a big test, but anxiety left unchecked can affect grades. Studies have shown that students that practice relaxation achieve higher test scores. Teachers and parents can help students of all ages by introducing relaxation techniques into their lives. Deep breathing, visualizing, and affirmations or positive statements will increase wellness and increase grades.
Warning Signs That Your Child is Stressing or Overly Worried About Tests:
- Your child doesn’t want to go to school, especially on test day
- Your child cries or has melt-downs during the days leading up to a test
- Your child changes eating and sleeping patterns in the days before a test
- Your child puts herself down or calls himself “stupid”
- Your child complains of upset stomach or a tension headache before a test
- Your child performs well on practice tests but not on the real test
Empower Your Child With Affirmations or Positive Statements Designed to Reduce Test Anxiety:
When angry or stressed, I take deep slow breaths.
I am calm, focused, and smart.
I am relaxed and alert.
I calmly trust my knowledge.
I know the answer to this question and I will look at it again in a few minutes.
I am smart and relaxed.
I am doing the best I can do, and my best is terrific.
I remember to breathe deeply during my tests.
Breathing deeply brings more oxygen to my brain.
I have enough time to answer the questions.
I have studied and I am prepared.
Being calm helps me to remember more.
I trust myself to calmly do my best.
Introduce your entire family to simple stress management techniques for optimum living. The following CDs each include the powerful techniques of diaphragmatic breathing, visualizing, affirmations, and progressive muscle relaxation. Make sure your child is getting proper sleep and eating a healthy breakfast to optimize your child or teens cognitive functioning and energy levels for test day.
Indigo Dreams shorter stories with relaxation techniques for younger child.
Indigo Ocean Dreams longer stories with relaxation techniques for older children.
Indigo Teen Dreams guided instructions with relaxation techniques for teens.
Indigo Dreams: Adult Relaxation guided instructions with relaxation techniques for adults.
Stress Free Kids Founder, Lori Lite has created a line of books, CDs, and curriculum designed to help children, teens, and adults decrease stress, anxiety, and anger. Her books, CDs, and lesson plans are considered a resource for parents, psychologists, therapists, child life specialists, teachers, and yoga instructors. Lori is a certified children’s meditation facilitator and has been nationally recognized on programs such as ABC’s “Shark Tank” and CBS News. Her constant upbeat presence on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter make her a real-time resource of applicable tips to parents, teachers, psychologists and counselors. All of the Stress Free Kids stories are now available in Spanish.
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