It’s a classic nightmare: you’re sitting at your desk about to take an exam … and you didn’t study. There’s a reason this test-taking anxiety memory still rattles many of us long past our years in the classroom. It’s rooted in a childhood rite of passage: the standardized test.
Last year, my 9-year-old suddenly burst into tears in the middle of unpacking her school bag one afternoon. “Tomorrow is testing,” she sobbed, “and I know I’m going to do horribly!”
Her worries felt frustratingly familiar. I was the definition of a nervous wreck during my school testing days, managing to convince my mother on a few occasions that I was too sick to attend classes.
My daughter and I aren’t alone. The American Test Anxieties Association estimates that “roughly one-third of students experience feelings of distress before or during an exam.” These worries aren’t limited to older students taking high-stakes exams like the SAT or ACT. Sadly, some children show evidence of test anxiety in first and second grades.
“Feeling nervous before a big test is a normal experience for most children,” says Althea P. Wroblewski, Ph.D., a child psychologist in the Department of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “Mild anxiety or stress is what motivates us to study or prepare in advance. Not preparing? Not such a good idea,” she adds.
Test anxiety can manifest itself in telltale physical symptoms like stomachaches and difficulty sleeping. Children may also appear defiant, irritable or willful.
“Teachers reporting problems with poor focus or attention may be mistaking it for ADHD instead of school anxiety,” Wroblewski warns. “Changes in behavior can include increased irritability, task avoidance and disruptive behaviors. It’s important to talk with your child’s pediatrician or school about these symptoms as they can be an indicator of an underlying learning problem,” she says.
Some kids may display emotional instability, or rapid mood changes from calm to extremely upset (similar to my daughter’s sudden meltdown last year).
AIM FOR A GROWTH MINDSET
How can you empower your kids to cope better with test anxiety?
“Parents can make a big difference in helping their children cope and manage feelings of distress about their performance in school,” says Wroblewski. “Normalizing stress using a ‘growth mindset approach’ is an effective strategy for teaching kids to view academic struggles as opportunities for learning. A growth mindset differs from a fixed mindset in that abilities such as intelligence, social skills or athletic performance can all be improved with effort and persistence. Practicing relaxation strategies (deep breathing, etc.) are highly effective tools, too. Parents can also role model resiliency through the use of positive self-talk and challenging unhelpful or negative thoughts.”
Wroblewski adds a touch of caution.
“It’s important for parents to be aware of their own anxiety and stress when talking to their child about high-stakes testing,” she says. “High levels of parental anxiety can predict a child’s test performance anxiety. Unfortunately, stress around the TCAP is particularly difficult for students (and their families) given current retention laws in the state of Tennessee.”
PREPPING FOR SPRING TESTING
“Everyone is feeling the pressure of TCAP,” says Tiffany Leader, owner and director of Learning RX, located in Franklin. Learning RX provides one-on-one brain training for all ages.
“Test anxiety can negatively impact the ability to think clearly and perform, even when you are equipped to handle the task in front of you,” she adds.
So you should never underestimate test preparation.
“A contributing factor to anxiety is feeling a lack of control over a situation or circumstance,” Leader says. “By seeking additional support — such as brain training or tutoring — students feel more prepared, lessening the anxiety and uncertainty around the situation,” she adds.
While the TCAP exam is designed to assess students’ understanding of academics, it can be an overwhelming challenge, says Ron Sohr, president of The Learning Lab, with locations in Brentwood and Nashville.
Sohr says anxiety can impair test-taking performance by altering cognitive function, test-taking speed and more — the worst of which may be lowered self-esteem.
“If students repeatedly struggle to perform well due to anxiety, they may begin to doubt their abilities which can have long-term effects on their academic confidence and performance,” he says.
SOLUTIONS
While schools often emphasize that students be well-rested and eat a good breakfast on test day, this advice, while sound, can signal the test’s importance and actually add to performance anxiety.
Sohr says test preparation will help to reduce your child’s anxiety and improve their testing ability. Test prep helps kids become familiar with formats and lets them practice under simulated conditions. By doing this, kids gain skill reinforcement and all-important confidence.
In other words, approach TCAP prep with positivity and honesty. Sometimes parents need to allow their kids to muddle through a tough experience (while supporting them). It shows kids that you believe they’re capable and helps them learn self-efficacy. Parents can also remind children in testing grades that they have gotten through tough experiences before and they will be able to manage testing, too.
Back to my memory of anxiety around testing.
After a few rounds of my test-week “sicknesses” many years ago, my mom finally pulled me out of bed and drove me to school. She then told me (not unkindly) that she understood I didn’t love testing, but this was a part of life and I needed to just deal with it. Then she gave me a hug and kiss and drove away — talk about the suck -it-up approach!
Whatever your outlook is for helping your kids manage test-taking anxiety, there’s a silver lining. Research indicates that students who learn to better manage test anxiety may cope more effectively with other types of anxiety. Standardized tests may be inevitable, but with the development of coping skills and resilience, the anxiety surrounding them does not have to be.
