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Seventh-Grader with Test Anxiety
Question: How can I help my seventh-grader with test anxiety?
Answer: Most importantly, your child should review his test material every night and not leave anything for the last minute. Discuss with your child why he feels uncomfortable facing the testing situation. Sometimes, you can stage homework like a test situation (play "beat the clock" on an assignment if your child is fearful of running out of time).
Find a special object for "good luck" or relaxation techniques that would be permitted in the classroom during the testing situation. Reduced anxiety can increase clear thinking and improve attention to small details that could lead to more correct answers. Review good test-taking techniques and put them into practice for your child. Test anxiety can be real or the phrase can be abused just to create an excuse for poor preparation and lack of effort to complete assignments. Make sure this is not the stage being set. Best wishes for high scores and low anxiety!
More on: Expert Advice
Judith Lee Ladd is a former president of the American School Counselor Association, a national organization of K-12 and post-secondary school counselors.
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