For families around the country, spring means clearing clutter, cleaning the garage, and getting outdoors. For teachers, it means counting down the days to the much-anticipated Spring Break and preparing for the state test. The annual standardized state test has become more and more tied to a child’s progress, their class placement, and a teacher’s perceived performance. It even affects real estate prices. In the near future, these test scores may decide school funding and teacher salaries. As a result of this growing pressure, more time, money, and energy is being expended on preparing for these types of high stakes test.
Kids are bogged down with simulated practice tests and much
of the work can be tedious. However, parents can help alleviate some of the
stress brought on by these wearisome tasks and help their children perform
better on standardized tests, which, like it or not, students will be taking
many times for many years to come.
The best preparation of course is to encourage your children
to be life-long learners both in and out of the classroom. That means doing
simple things like listening and following directions, reading, and doing homework.
Your children’s teacher has most likely been doing test preparation in school
so you can help with easing anxiety and boosting confidence at home.
It sounds obvious, but make up tests are cumbersome, so make
sure your children are in school and on time during the testing session. Do not
plan any doctor or dental appointments on test dates. Know how test results are
used, and how they will affect your children’s grades or placement. Test dates
and all other information can be obtained from school and should be on the
school website.
Be a cheerleader! It’s crucial that you communicate to your
children that you believe in them. Without adding pressure, motivate your children
to do well on the test and to listen carefully to all test-taking directions.
Also, encourage them to ask questions about any directions that are
unclear. Make sure your children eat a
healthy breakfast and, of course, get plenty of sleep the night before. A
shower in the morning will freshen mind, body, and spirit. Having a pleasant
morning will eliminate any added concerns and allow your children to focus
while taking the test.
If your children are overly anxious, give them a few calming
tips to use while testing. If frazzled, imagine a favorite place. Focusing on
something else clears the head. Tuck a small token into a pocket. Nothing
distracting, just a special coin, or sticker will suffice Suggest taking a deep
breath and counting to ten. Then take shorter breaths in between passages or
sections of the test – counting only to three. These simple exercises are fast,
simple and really work.
Empowering yourself and your children before test taking
will lead to a more pleasant testing experience, and hopefully higher scores,
so send your tough test taker to school with a full tummy, clean body and
confident self.
Contact Margaret Lavin at elementarydays@gmail.com.
